Romanian city dims lights to combat energy crisis

Timișoara, Romania, is taking steps to conserve energy by temporarily switching off architectural lighting on several prominent buildings. Vice Mayor Ruben Lațcău announced the measure, citing the national energy crisis and the state of alert declared across the country.

Lațcău stated that the city is already seeing energy savings due to the modernization of its public lighting system. Over 70 streets and boulevards now feature LED lighting with remote management capabilities. This upgrade has allowed for gradual reductions in energy consumption over the past year without compromising public safety.

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We are temporarily turning off the architectural lighting to reduce energy consumption. But we are already saving because we have modernized the public lighting system.

For example, the Botanic Park's lighting intensity is adjusted throughout the night, operating at 70% from 11 p.m. to midnight, then dropping to 50% until 4 a.m., before increasing again. The city is also evaluating bids to modernize lighting on an additional 66 streets.

Buildings affected by the temporary lighting shutdown include several churches, the Metropolitan Cathedral, and the Opera House. Lațcău assured that the architectural lighting would be restored once the energy-saving measures are no longer necessary. Other cities, such as Iași, Constanța, and Oradea, are also implementing similar energy-saving strategies, including reducing public lighting intensity and delaying its activation.

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It is a temporary measure. We will illuminate them again when these energy-saving measures are no longer needed.