Flashnet, in collaboration with ASM Merano, is modernizing the urban infrastructure of Merano, Italy, one of the country’s most iconic alpine regions and a renowned tourist destination that places great importance on the quality of services offered to its visitors.

Through the deployment of the inteliLIGHT® luminaire controllers the city is optimizing its public lighting services, ensuring high-quality illumination for both residents and visitors, improved operational efficiency with significant energy savings, and a more sustainable and eco-friendly urban landscape.

Merano, located in the Province of Bolzano and internationally renowned for its ski areas and cultural heritage, is taking important steps in advancing sustainability and innovation. Through this project, the city is laying the foundation for a more connected and efficient future, while preserving its unique character and ensuring a safe, welcoming environment for citizens and visitors. 

The project implementation is carried out in several phases, in line with the complex infrastructure replacement works and the transition to LED lighting. With 1,000 FRE-24-Zhaga-L controllers already installed, another 900 currently being deployed by the end of 2025, and further expansion plans already in place for the coming years, the municipality is scaling up its smart lighting network step by step, an approach that matches its needs for gradual integration, balanced budget allocation, and the progressive adaptation of technical teams and local operations. 

Local grid practices introduced an additional challenge: since street lighting circuits in Merano are powered down during the day, all devices attempt to reconnect simultaneously when power is restored, which may cause some units to take longer to rejoin the network. To overcome this, the Flashnet engineering team customized the controllers to ensure a faster and more reliable activation process under these specific conditions, by implementing ABP (Activation by Personalization). 

The smart street lighting upgrade in Merano will deliver tangible benefits, including energy savings through adaptive schedules, greater sustainability and reduced maintenance costs thanks to real-time monitoring and automated alerts. The project also ensures future-proof flexibility with Zhaga hardware and open integrations, while being tailored for resilience in local alpine conditions, guaranteeing reliable operation year-round. 

“Our inteliLIGHT solution was designed to grow together with the city – from smart lighting to broader smart city integrations. Flexibility and open standards make it a sustainable choice for the future. At the same time, our tailored approach and the adaptation of controllers to local conditions ensure that technology truly serves the city’s specific needs.” Liviu Dică, Flahsnet’s Regional Manager 

“For a city like Merano, where tourism and quality of life are essential, reliable and efficient public lighting is a key service. This modernization improves safety, energy efficiency, and the experience of both citizens and visitors. Working with Flashnet has proven to be the right choice – their scalable solution was easy to install, and their technical team showed great flexibility in adapting the system to our local requirements” says Stefan Mutschlechner, Head of Public Lighting Department at Stadtwerke Meran – ASM Merano.