Sabugal is a rural municipality located in the Serra de Malcata nature reserve. Its normally low density population swells substantially in the summer when there is an influx of tourists, and in December, when people return for the holidays. With this fluctuating population putting huge demands on infrastructure, the city needed an energy-efficient, highly scalable lighting system. By converting to LED and controlling the lighting remotely with Interact City Scene management software, they found a future-proof and sustainable solution. Using a simple web application, they can now control the lighting remotely.

Sabugal’s normal population of 12,500 nearly quadruples during the busy tourist months in the summer and in December when family members and returnees come back for the holiday season. Isolated locations, barely accessible most of the year, are suddenly filled with people during high season. This influx of people twice a year puts pressure on the city’s resources, and until recently, the Portuguese municipality had to choose between over-supplying energy all year to satisfy the fluctuating tourist demand, or providing limited, inefficient lighting during the busiest times.