Saving Energy While Remaining a Top-Tier Urban Lighting Model

LUCI and the City of Lyon welcomed a large delegation of Moroccan partners and city representatives for two days of fruitful and intense discussions.

 

The visit of the Moroccan delegation kicked off with a nightly visit, led by Thierry Marsick, Director of Public Lighting for the City of Lyon, and lighting designer Joseph Frey. This first tour particularly focused on two creative award-winning lighting installations: the France Péjot underpass and the interactive light scheme “Traverser la lumière”.

>> Learn more about the France Péjot underpass on our Light & Art Map and through this video

>> Read more about “Traverser La lumière”

In-depth perspectives on the strategy and management of urban lighting in Lyon

 

The delegation was welcomed in Lyon’s City Hall with key opening messages from:

• Sylvain Godinot, Deputy Mayor of Lyon for Ecological Transition and Heritage,
• Badr Tnacheri Ouazzani, Deputy Mayor of Rabat and LUCI President,
• Azzedine Daoudi, Chief of the Public Lighting Service at DGCT (Morocco),
• Najlae Habibi, Head of Service for Energy Efficiency Programs MTEDD (Morocco).

 

Representatives from partner organizations (AMEE, DGCT, GIZ, MTEDD) and 11 Moroccan cities (Agadir, Beni Mellal, Casablanca, Fès, Ifrane, Oujda, Rabat, Salé, Tangier, Tétouan, and Tiznit) were presented with a detailed explanation of Lyon’s strategic approach to urban lighting , from its first Lighting Plan, initiated in 1989, to its third inception (launched in 2023), and the choices made in terms of energy efficiency, maintenance, smart lighting and innovation.

>> Learn more about the City of Lyon’s 3rd Lighting Plan

The Moroccan delegation also had the opportunity to introduce the general guidelines of Morocco’s General Plan for Public Lighting.

The afternoon was dedicated to presentations and exchanges with working partners from the City of Lyon, offering the Moroccan delegation the opportunity to learn about ongoing and future lighting projects in the city. This included insights from lighting designer Vincent Thiesson, founder of Agence ON, and a review of smart lighting solutions in Lyon led by Gilles Fallet, CEO of Arcom Citylone.

>> More about this theme in our publication Cities’ Guide to Smart Lighting

 

A second field visit enabled participants to experience the main urban lighting illumination projects in the historic city centre.

Lyon’s Lighting Ecosystem: from industry to research, from centre to periphery

 

In order to enlarge the perspective to the extended urban lighting ecosystem in Lyon, the Moroccan delegation was welcomed at LUMEN, headquarters of LUCI member Cluster Lumière, an organization focused on federating and developing lighting businesses in the Rhône-Alpes region of France, which includes Lyon.

 

It provided a rich opportunity for presentations and exchanges between public authorities and the private sector, with contributions from Henri Coulloumme-Labarthe (General Director of Cluster Lumière) and the importance of designing appropriate training with Véronique Teissier (Operational Director of Campus Lumière).

Eric Perez and Christine Rami (President and General Director, respectively, of SIGERLy, the energy management syndicate for the Lyon region), offered insights about public lighting in the periphery of the main city centre with many challenges as well as good practices on management and energy efficiency.

 

The Moroccan delegation also visited the learning and research unit dedicated to the study of light and lighting applications, managed by ENTPE (École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l’État – National School of State Public Works) at LUMEN, in a guided tour by Philippe Badaroux, former President of Cluster Lumière.

Gaining Insights Through Exchange and Cooperation

 

This visit to Lyon allowed for the Moroccan delegation to gain an overview of the management systems and technologies employed in and around the City of Lyon to reduce energy consumption, promote smart and more durable solutions, and develop a lighting ecosystem that enhances the quality of life for all: visitors and citizens.

 

The very rich exchanges with Moroccan counterparts involved in the AVMEP project offered valuable insights for applying these lessons in Morocco’s current and future lighting initiatives.

 

>> Read more on the AVMEP project

In strong collaboration with 4 main partners, LUCI is coordinating the AVMEP project, standing for Appui aux Villes Marocaines sur l’Éclairage Public (Capacity Building for Moroccan Cities on Public Lighting).

• Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development of the Kingdom of Morocco
  Ministère de la Transition Énergétique et du Développement Durable du Royaume du Maroc – (MTEDD)
• Ministry of the Interior – Local Authorities Department
  Ministère de l’Intérieur – Direction Générale des Collectivités Territoriales – (DGCT)
• Moroccan Agency for Energy Efficiency
  Agence Marocaine pour l’Efficacité Energétique – (AMEE)
• German Agency for International Development Cooperation
  Agence de coopération internationale allemande pour le développement – (GiZ)

The project responds to current and future challenges of the integration of energy efficiency solutions in urban lighting in Morocco.