Materials Today: Proceedings 72 (2023) 3244–3252

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What public lighting governance model should be deployed in Moroccan

cities for sustainable and efficient energy management?
Youssef Kasseh ⇑, Abdellatif Touzani, Salma El Majaty
Mohammadia School of Engineering, Mohammed V University -RABAT Ibn Sina Agdal 10090, Rabat B.P 765, Morocco

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: The strategy of public lighting in Morocco is today a real urban issue: a well-lit city satisfies citizens and
Available online 19 July 2022 is a factor of development, attractiveness, safety and economy for communities. Urban authorities are
challenged to define the right lighting, where it is needed, when it is needed, how it is needed and at
Keywords: the best cost. In the midst of economic and industrial growth and in the face of societal challenges,
Public Lighting Morocco is aiming to achieve ambitious energy independence targets while meeting its commitments
National energy efficiency strategy to sustainable development. To this end, Morocco has developed an energy efficiency strategy, one of
Energy management system
the main axes of which is the implementation of efficient public lighting services by 2030 with the ambi-
Energy audit
Governance of public lighting
tion of reducing electricity consumption by 13%. Public lighting in Morocco represents a significant bur-
den for municipalities. There are more than 1.5 million light points in urban municipalities, for an
estimated annual consumption of 1,000 GWh, with an annual increase of 8%. The related investment
and operating expenses reached about 3.5 billion DH in 2018. The objective of this paper is to present
an analysis of the governance of public lighting in Morocco. It presents the various obstacles and con-
straints to achieving effective management of public lighting. The first step consists of an analysis of
the modes of governance of public lighting in Moroccan cities. Then, a proposal for a public lighting gov-
ernance mechanism is made on the basis of an international benchmark, including proposals for improv-
ing the energy performance of public lighting.
Copyright Ó 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the Fifth edition of the
International Conference on Materials & Environmental Science.

1. Introduction
Street lighting is one of the most energy-intensive utilities,
especially in cities and on major roads, and remains a sector mainly
targeted by energy efficiency policies worldwide. The artificial
lighting sector, which consumes more than a fifth of the world’s
electrical energy annually, remains a necessary condition for mod-
ern life, with 55% of it currently concentrated in urban areas, a rate
that could reach 70% by 2050 for socio-economic reasons[1]. The
modernization and improvement of the performance of public
lighting is thus becoming an essential lever for sustainable devel-
opment[2].
Since the deployment of the National Energy Efficiency Strategy
2030 by the Kingdom of Morocco in August 2020[3], public lighting
⇑ Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: youssefkasseh.emi@gmail.com (Y. Kasseh), atouzanikia@g-
mail.com (A. Touzani), salma.elmajaty@gmail.com (S. El Majaty).
is now part of the main sectoral objectives essential to achieve the
overall goal of saving 20% of energy by 2030.
To achieve these objectives, a series of structuring projects have
been initiated by the various actors, targeting urban and commu-
nal public services. Public lighting is at the heart of energy effi-
ciency projects, given the high costs of installation and
modernization in Moroccan municipalities.
To meet this challenge, a national commission in charge of
energy efficiency in the public lighting sector has just been created,
under the supervision of the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sus-
tainable Development, in order to bring together the various stake-
holders (ministries, network managers, public companies,
municipalities) with the aim of ensuring the implementation of
four major pillars: public lighting service governance, standardiza-
tion and technical support to municipalities, strengthening of reg-
ulations as well as financing mechanisms.
The Moroccan governmental and legislative bodies have
endorsed this approach by setting up a legislative, regulatory and
institutional framework, namely Law 47–09 [4]on energy effi-

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2022.07.123
2214-7853/Copyright Ó 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the Fifth edition of the International Conference on Materials & Environmental Science.
Y. Kasseh, A. Touzani and S. El Majaty
ciency and the creation of the Moroccan Agency for Energy Effi-
ciency (MAEE) by Law 39–16 and the adoption of Decree No.
2.17.746 on mandatory energy audit and mandatory energy audit
bodies. In order to accelerate the modernization of public lighting,
which accounts for about 40% of urban energy consumption, initia-
tives to modernize the governance of public lighting in Morocco
have emerged through the creation of local development compa-
nies (DCL) in the framework of public–private partnerships (PPP)
[5].
Barriers to sustainable public lighting transformation in Mor-
occo are linked to financial, technical and regulatory factors. The
barriers are summarized as follows:
 Lack of human resources’ capacity. Government entities respon-
sible for developing and maintaining public lighting often lack
qualified personnel to manage the implementation, monitoring
and verification (M&V) of Energy Efficiency (EE) projects such as
public lighting.
 Political challenges. A great challenge faced by municipalities is
the preservation and tracking of enhanced performance indica-
tors on public lighting network operation.
 Technical challenges. The absence of a regulatory manual or
technical specifications handbook adapted to Morocco’s public
lighting constitutes one of the main problems in managing pub-
lic lighting network expansion projects. Despite the existence of
the Moroccan standard NM 13,201 for the required lighting
levels, it is not yet mandatory in public lighting specifications.
 Lack of financial resources. The municipalities’ lack of access to
adapted financing to cover the costs of implementing and main-
taining the necessary infrastructure and for securing energy
supply (in the case of programs that include significant expan-
sions) constitutes one of the most serious barriers to transform-
ing the public lighting network in most municipalities.
The objective of this paper is to present the current models for
implementing energy efficiency projects in public lighting. It pre-
sents the advantages and limitations of the current public lighting
governance models in Morocco.
2. Methodology
The public lighting stock of urban municipalities in Morocco
includes more than 1.5 million light points with an estimated
annual consumption of 1000 Gwh. The related investment and
operating expenses reached about 3.5 billion DH in 2018. Accord-
ing to data from the General Directorate of Local Authorities
(GDLA), the overall expenditure of the public lighting sector at
the national level amounted to about 2.2 billion DH in 2018[3]. A
model for the governance of public lighting is proposed on the
basis of a diagnosis of management methods in the various Moroc-
can cities, and after an international benchmark. The diagram
(Fig. 1) shows the steps followed in this research work.
3. Governance models for public lighting
Public lighting is a public service that can be managed accord-
ing to different models. For energy efficiency projects, the manage-
ment model used is of paramount importance as it defines the
utility governance system for the municipality. In Morocco, three
models of public lighting management are generally used, includ-
ing direct management, delegated management, and the Local
Development Company (LDC) model. These three models are dis-
cussed in the following sub-sections (Fig. 2).
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Materials Today: Proceedings 72 (2023) 3244–3252
3.1. Direct management model
Under the direct management model, public lighting is man-
aged by the municipality’s own services. City civil servants con-
tribute directly to managing all public lighting activities and
associated equipment.
3.2. Delegated management model
To improve the productivity and quality of services and
rationalize production costs and tariffs, municipalities can delegate
certain public lighting management tasks to an external operator.
The delegated management of public services is defined by Law
no 54–05 as ‘‘a contract by which a legal entity under public law,
hereafter the delegator, delegates, for a limited term, the manage-
ment of a public service for which it is liable to a legal person under
public or private law, hereafter the delegate, by recognizing the lat-
ter’s right to receive remuneration on users and/or the realization
of benefits for said management”.
Within the contract, the service provider (the municipality) and
the delegate (external operator) agree to the terms of the delegated
management. Management can occur at different degrees, from
managing public lighting equipment to completely managing the
public lighting network on the territory of the service provider.
Even if it delegates a portion of public lighting management, the
municipality remains liable for the public service. The delegate
can be public or private. Public management is carried out by
municipal utilities or the National Office of Electricity and Drinking
Water, while private management is carried out by private conces-
sion firms.
The delegated management contract is subject to approval by
the oversight authority of local governments. To do so, the munic-
ipality sends three copies of the contract, the project information
brief, and the municipal council decision to implement the dele-
gated service contract. All these documents are submitted to the
local authority (prefecture or province).
Compared to the direct management model, the delegated
management model is considered more effective for public lighting
network energy performance improvement projects. In fact, the
energy consumption data for public lighting in Morocco indicates
a significant difference associated with the management model a
municipality chooses: consumption per inhabitant is 27 percent
lower in municipalities that use the delegated management model
compared to those that use direct management.
3.3. The local development corporation model in Morocco
Born of the creation of a Local Development Corporation (DCL),
this management model is a bridge between delegated manage-
ment and the Public Private Partnership (PPP). The Local Develop-
ment Corporation (DCL) is a legal means of allowing a municipality
to associate with a private operator to manage a public service
such as public lighting. This model is based on equity risks and
benefits sharing for both parties.
Legal Aspect:
 Many regulatory points must be respected when creating a
Local Development Corporation (DCL)
 The municipality must own a stake of at least 34 percent in the
Local Development Corporation (DCL).
 The Local Development Corporation (DCL) must be publicly
owned at a rate of at least 51 percent.
 The perpetuity and quality of the public service must be
ensured.
Y. Kasseh, A. Touzani and S. El Majaty
Fig. 1. Research methodology.
Fig. 2. Public Lighting Management Models.
 The professional expert must be selected under a call for ten-
ders to guarantee an optimum and transparent process in the
choice of private partner.
 Directorate General of Local Authorities (DGCL) validates and
approves the contract.
Moreover, the purpose of the Local Development Corporation
(DCL) must be fall ‘‘within the scope of industrial and commercial
activities subject to the jurisdictions of municipalities and their
groupings”.
A municipality may implement an Energy Performance Contract
(EPC) with a Local Development Corporation (DCL) acting as an
Energy Service Company (ESCO) that assumes the investment risks
and is remunerated by benefits from generated energy savings in
relation to established performance objectives. An Energy Perfor-
mance Contract (EPC)[6] is a contract entered into between a
municipality and an Energy Service Company (ESCO) whose pur-
pose is to guarantee energy performance improvements, to provide
services, invest in the works, as well as carry out monitoring and
verification activities, all in relation to the current contractual
reference.
The Municipality and the Private Service Provider.
The private service provider and the municipality partner in
elaborating and implementing the financial, legal, and contractual
frameworks. Thereby, the municipality:
 Benefits from the manager’s expertise.
 Is released from lighting stock management tasks.
 Benefits from the investment made in managing the lighting
stock.
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Materials Today: Proceedings 72 (2023) 3244–3252
 Holds the right of supervisory power, participation in the strate-
gic decisions of the Local Development Corporation (DCL), and
benefits from complete transparency of management matters.
 Will benefit from decreased expenses due to generated energy
savings.
 Benefits from a share of the Local Development Corporation
(DCL) revenues as a shareholder.
The private service provider is selected through a call for ten-
ders and is responsible for the technical aspects of managing public
lighting. In fact, it is responsible for the technical and managerial
performance of the public lighting management system. The pri-
vate service provider’s remuneration is directly in line with the
potential reduction in energy consumption generated by its
activities.
4. Advantages and limits of models
This step presents the general advantages and limits of each
model. However[7], choosing one model over another depends
on the financial and management capacities as well as the strate-
gies adopted by municipalities relative to municipal services. It
should be noted that Local Development Corporation (SDL) are
more and more used by municipalities as a new instrument for
managing many vital services such as garbage, parking, transporta-
tion, and public lighting. Moroccan authorities pay particular
attention to this and encourage the development of Local Develop-
ment Corporation (SDL)[8].This enables the integration of private-
sector management models while maintaining a level of adminis-
trative control for public authorities. As of March 2016, the City
Y. Kasseh, A. Touzani and S. El Majaty Materials Today: Proceedings 72 (2023) 3244–3252

 Public Lighting (PL) networks that were incorrectly dimen-

sioned, dilapidated or not maintained.
 Exorbitant electric energy bills and high maintenance costs for
municipalities
 Proliferation of night-time crime, caused by ineffective or non-
existing Public Lighting (PL) network
 Existence of legal framework for public–private partnership
(PPP) contracts with incentives to finance to projects
 Existence of an associative institution that helps municipalities
procure services such as electricity through joint calls for
tenders.

These cases are based on investment mechanisms designed to

Fig. 3. Outlines the advantages and limits of each management model.
meet the needs of the given context and encourage investments
in Public Lighting (PL) projects.
The lessons learned from these case studies consist of four
points whose combination played a major role in the success of
the programmes described above. These points are:

 Incentive measures need to be implemented for the various

of Casablanca had already created seven Local development corpo-
stakeholders, especially in municipalities in charge of decisions
ration (SDLs) for its services. As demonstrated in Fig. 3, Local devel-
related to Public Lighting (PL) projects. Implementing a subsidy
opment corporation (SDLs) represent a higher level of risk and
mechanism for Public Lighting (PL) projects under the proposed
liability[9], but this is compensated by the high benefits compared
programme accounts for this important aspect to the success of
to the other two models.
such programmes. Beyond subsidies, establishing adapted
As part of this study, a detailed analysis of each model was car-
financing mechanisms played a major role in the success of
ried out. The (Table 1) shows the characteristics of each model.
these programmes[10];
 Technical standards need to be established to guide stakehold-
5. Literature review and international experience in street ers in choosing luminaires and ensure the overall quality and
lighting investment programmes life of lighting products, as well as the duration of guarantees.
This point is paramount to the sustainability of quality of Public
The Public Lighting (PL) investment programmes described in Lighting (PL) projects and has been taken into account when
the case studies (Table 2) are based on similar general contexts. establishing and implementing the technical standards at the
Prior to the development of these programmes, the Public Lighting beginning of the proposed programme[11];
(PL) sector and the institutional environment of the analysed coun-
tries were generally characterised as follows:

Table 1
Characteristics of Each Model.

Category Direct Management Delegated Management Local Development Corporation (SDL) Model
Duration of contract No contract Generally, between 1 and 30 years 10 to 15 years
Contractual flexibility N.A. Modification of contract terms at maturity Amendments in case of expansion of scope
Human and material Requires a trained and experienced Resources for control and monitoring only Resources for control and monitoring only
resources team Negotiation of rights and benefits of employees of No resources for the municipal plan, regular
Equipment required to local governments affected by delegated monitoring and performance reports are
maintenance and the installation management produced
Expand the team and materials
according to network expansion
Technical capacity Have the technical and Resources with technical capacity to ensure Resources with technical capacity to ensure
management capacities to monitoring and verification monitoring and verification
maintain and modernize the public Required for the Local development corporation
network (SDL) team
Continuous training of resources
Liability Overall responsibility for the Very reduced or partial responsibility The private partner assumes the technical risk of
network the project
Technological transfer None Few technological transfers Technological transfers from private to public
and vice-versa
Obligation of None Not often Obligation to reduce the energy bill and maintain
increasing energy minimum initial conditions
performance of the
network
Performance No energy performance guarantee Sometimes for overall management, but often Energy performance guarantee with penalty in
guarantee without penalty case of not achieving objectives
Additional revenue (possible according to
projects whereby the private partner can
commission more effectively)
Selection process Relatively simple: Technical Relatively simple: Technical capacity, price, and An open selection process, competitive,
capacity of resources experience of manager for the installation and transparent, and involves a negotiation on all
maintenance of the public lighting network contractual aspects enables proper risk sharing

3247
 Table 2
International Experience in Street Lighting Investment Program.
Case Study
Implementation Mechanism: Super Energy service
company (ESCO) Concept
Implementing Institution: Greater
Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC)
and Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL)
Country: India
Implementation Mechanism: ECCO Concept
Implementing Institution: Asian Electronics
Limited (AEL)
Country: India
3248
Implementation Mechanism: Lease Agreement
Implementing Institution: CONUEE
Country: Mexico – Municipality of Guadalajara
Implementation Mechanism: Joint Call for Tenders
Implementing Institution: AMO
Country: Canada, Ontario
Scope of Works Legal, Institutional and Financial Dispositions
 The project consisted of  The GVMC contracted the EESL Super Energy service company (ESCO) for seven years to
refurbishing and replac-
ing 91,775 light points
with Light emitting
diode (LED) lamps.
Expected energy savings
range of 50% and 55% of
initial consumption.
The project was rolled
out for a seven-year
period, but refurbish-
ment works lasted from
November 2014 to
February 2015.
 Asian Electronics Lim-  In their tendering processes, municipalities use tools operated by Asian Electronics Lim-
ited (AEL) offers energy
performance contracts
(EPCs) based on shared-
savings without requir-
ing initial fees or with
low initial costs to city
halls for the refurbish-
ment and improve-
ments of their public
lighting services
Projects were imple-
mented in 9 urban
regions with an average
of 400,000 inhabitants.
Project carried out from
2005 to 2009.
 Replaced 40,000 lumi-  The National Public Lighting Program is managed by CONUEE and involves three actors:
naires, notably 50% of
high-pressure sodium
luminaires by light-
emitting diode (LED)
lamps from 2013 to
2016.
Upgraded 20% of defec-
tive luminaires with
the replaced high-pres-
sure sodium luminaires
that were still in good
operating condition.
Refurbish Public Lighting  All municipalities are members of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) and
(PL) in 444 eligible
municipalities with the
Y. Kasseh, A. Touzani and S. El Majaty
Lessons Learned
 The success of the GVMC project led
restore the system; switching to Light emitting diode (LED) lighting; maintenance of the other municipalities following suit,
Public Lighting (PL) stock which was no longer used after a natural disaster (Cyclone Hud- thus creating a replicable national
hud). model for Public Lighting (PL) refur-
EESL, a Super Energy service company (ESCO) established by the Indian government, bishment projects.
completely refurbished the infrastructure within 45 days; thanks to experience in the The right methodology allowed reduc-
public lighting sector with other municipalities, support obtained from authorities and ing measurement and verification
financing received from the German Development Bank (KfW) for Energy Efficiency costs and reinforced confidence
(EE) projects in India. among the project partners.
EESL assumed the entire initial investment costs, 80% of which was a KfW loan and the Political support for Energy Efficiency
remaining 20% was from its own funds. (EE) projects is important to success.
The contract binding GVMC and EESL is a model based on the payment of fixed savings The GVMC project benefitted from
based on estimations. the support of all government struc-
EESL guaranteed 50% of the energy savings to GVMC. tures in accordance with its
subdivisions.
 Asian Electronics Limited (AEL) rein-
ited (AEL) to shortlist Energy service company (ESCOs), prepare requests for proposals, forced capacity in structuring Energy
assess bids, select the winning service provider, and conduct measurement and verifica- Performance Contract (EPCs), which
tion of savings activities.Municipalities contributed to the project development process enables the effective use of Energy
by defining the geographic scope of the project and the technical specifications (of tech- Performance Contract (EPC) as legal
nologies and systems) and financial instruments.Establishing
and by basing the latter on standards established and adopted under the program. financial incentive measures (such as
Asian Electronics Limited (AEL) supports municipalities that do not have experience with for carbon financing)
Energy Performance Contract (EPCs) by providing certain bidding documents, notably the played a role in the financial structure
model contract. of the program.
Asian Electronics Limited (AEL) participates in the calls for tenders, signs Build, Own, The use of EPC enabled the elimination
Operate, Transfer (BOOT) type energy performance contracts with municipalities and is of many barriers to project implemen-
paid back through the energy savings. tation in the market.Establishment of
Asian Electronics Limited (AEL) also benefitted from international Technical Assistance technical standards and technical
(TA) to secure carbon credits that generated additional revenues. assistance by developing standardized
tools (contracts, tendering docu-
ments)
to enable the massive deployment of
projects.
 Assigning management of the pro-
CONUEE; the Federal Electricity Commission (Federal Electricity Commission, [CFE]); and gram to a single government entity
the National Bank of Public Works and Services (Banque Nationale des Travaux Publics et (CONUEE) enabled the implementa-
des Services [Banobras]). tion of a sustainable initiative under
CONUEE offers technical assistance to ensure that the project complies with the standards a quality framework.
in effect in the public lighting sector and relative to the use of Light emitting diode (LED) The subsidies established by the gov-
Materials Today: Proceedings 72 (2023) 3244–3252
lamps in public lighting. CONUEE therefore developed the tools necessary for municipal- ernment played a major role in financ-
ities to technically analyses projects before calling for tenders. The Federal Electricity ing the projects.Cities that plan to
Commission (CFE) helps municipalities measure the energy consumption of their public undertake similar projects must con-
lighting before and after carrying out refurbishment projects. sider many aspects when selecting
Banobras, with the support of CONUEE, conducts the technical evaluations of project doc- lamps, notably: (1) assessing the
umentation submitted by municipalities.This project, estimated at approximately USD potential energy savings, as well as
19 million, was auto-financed through the expected energy savings under a ten-year lease lower energy bills and maintenance
agreement signed between the Municipality of Guadalajara and a consortium of enter- costs; (2) respecting national and local
prises comprised of Electrotec, the installer, and Solucash, the financial institution financ- regulations; and (3)
ing the project. ensuring compliance with the techni-
cal standards of technologies and sys-
tems installed under the program.
 A centralized entity, with full equal
financially contribute to operations. Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) is the membership, technical capacity and
sole owner of a not-for-profit organization, the Local Authority Services (LAS) Inc., which the confidence of member municipali-
 Table 2 (continued)

Y. Kasseh, A. Touzani and S. El Majaty

Case Study
Implementation Mechanism: Super Energy service
company (ESCO)
Implementing Institution: Etihad Energy
service company (ESCO)
Country: United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Implementation Mechanism: Public-private
3249
Scope of Works
objective of reducing energy
consumption by 40 to 60%.
The project launched in
2013.
Improve energy and water
use in more than 30,000
buildings in the United Arab
Emirates (UAE), starting
with public buildings.
Achieve, by 2030, electrical
savings of 1.7 GWh and
5.6 billion imperial gallons
in water savings.
Refurbish 97,000 luminaires
Legal, Institutional and Financial Dispositions Lessons Learned
is in charge of the collective supply of products and services, including electricity and fuel, ties, was capable of managing a joint
on behalf of 350 Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) member municipalities. procurement process and secured
Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) engagement from municipalitiesThe
selected Local Authority Services (LAS) to: manage joint call of tenders program; identify technology and public lighting system
at municipal level opportunities to refurbish public lighting; and define at provincial level specifications, experience, skills and
the general project framework based on national public lighting standards. execution capacity of the operator
Pursuant to limited consultation, Local Authority Services (LAS) hired the services of RTE (services provider)
to offer technical assistance for turnkey services to be provided to municipalities that are essential to the success of a large
adhere to the project. The program tasks assigned to RTE include designing and installing centralized procurement program.
the public lighting, as well as related maintenance and other auxiliary services such as The establishment of subsidies played
financing, data management, and renegotiating billing contracts with electricity distribu- a major role in financing projects. In
tors. The RTE thus conducts detailed feasibility studies for the project in consenting certain cases, the subsidies served to
municipalities. The studies serve to precisely determine the technical specifications of double the net value of projects over
equipment to be purchased to maximize estimated energy savings. the ten-year contract period.
 Etihad Energy service company (ESCO) in Dubai establishes itself as intermediary  The benefits of using an intermediary
between owners, Energy service company (ESCOs) and financial institutions. It thus plays to initiate and structure projects are
the role of effective facilitator in eliminating barriers to energy improvements in the Uni- undeniable to stimulate and enable
ted Arab Emirates (UAE) building stock.As the development of a sustainable mar-
a Super Energy service company (ESCO), Etihad Energy service company (ESCO) does not ket of Energy Efficiency (EE) projects.
compete against Energy service company (ESCOs), but is rather mandated to set up and
establish a sustainable market for Energy service company (ESCOs).
Etihad Energy service company (ESCO) fulfils the following roles: (1) Pre-qualifies build-
ings in the owner portfolio; (2) Organizes calls for tenders for owners; (3) Seeks addi-
tional financing in case of owner budget over-expenditures; (4) Monitors post-project
execution with the Energy service company (ESCO); (5) Monitors during the guarantee
period.
 The Birmingham City Council (BCC) enters into a long-term 25-year contract to refurbish,  The existence of a national framework

Partnership in two phases, a first lot of
Country: England, Birmingham 57,000 from 2010 to 2015
and a second lot of 40,000
from 2015 to 2035 for
savings of 50%.
modernise and maintain its public lighting infrastructure with a private firm, Amey Plc. for Public-private partnership (PPP)
The total value of the contract is estimated at USD 117 million. The contract term is from contracts facilitates the process of
2010 to 2035. refurbishing Public Lighting (PL) in
The project is rolled out in two phases: the first phase lasted five years, from 2010 to Birmingham.
2015, and was more dedicated to investing and refurbishing nearly half of existing infras- The Birmingham initiative was made
tructure, estimated at 57,404 luminaires; the second phase, from 2015 to 2035, is dedi- possible thanks to a national institu-
cated to maintaining renovated infrastructure and gradually refurbishing the remaining tional policy and subsidy framework
luminaires estimated at 40,000 in number. dated 1974.
Amey Plc is responsible for refurbishing public lighting over the contract term to meet the Public and private sector actors have
lighting levels required by national technical standards established by the British govern- experience with the financing and
ment. The firm has installed remote management technologies on luminaires to increase legal instrument called the Public-pri-
the savings to be achieved. vate partnership (PPP) model and they
Under the contract, Amey Plc is in charge of: selecting a supplier; purchasing lamps, have have refined the processes and docu-
the lamps installed; maintain the works over 25 years. ments to facilitate these partnerships.

Materials Today: Proceedings 72 (2023) 3244–3252

Amey Plc assumes all the risks associated with the life of lamps and assigns itself all the In countries where such experience
measured energy savings. lacks, it is primordial that external
The project falls under the overall Public-private partnership (PPP) framework estab- technical assistance be provided to
lished by the British government and therefore respects all the steps and procedures. support stakeholders.The use of
Energy Performance Contract (EPCs)
enables massive investments that
municipalities would not be capable
of making on their own.
Y. Kasseh, A. Touzani and S. El Majaty
 A legal framework for Public-private partnership (PPPs) needs
to be available and an adequate institutional environment
needs to be established to facilitate the implementation of these
programmes. This framework allows the inclusion of the private
sector in projects that benefit from both the financial resources
and technical expertise of private actors. The proposed pro-
gramme rests upon the existing Moroccan Public-private part-
nership (PPP) legal framework by solely promoting
intervention mechanisms based on Public-private partnership
(PPP)[12];
 Technical assistance needs to be established to support the var-
ious actors involved in programme implementation. Technical
assistance to reinforce the capacity to use Energy Performance
Contract (EPCs)[13] will provide assurances to the municipali-
ties and private actors involved in establishing partnerships
for Public Lighting (PL) projects. It will, more specifically[7],
allow programme stakeholders to better structure contracts to
safeguard against risks related to disagreement over the actual
savings generated, non-payment of invoices, as well as low
quality provision of electricity and Public Lighting (PL)
infrastructure
6. Results and discussion
6.1. Barriers and challenges
The deployment of the public lighting transformation project in
Morocco is hampered by a number of barriers and challenges
related to financial, technical and regulatory factors. After analys-
ing the different models of public lighting governance, the main
issues to be addressed to enable the implementation of sustainable
public lighting are:
 Lack of Human Resource Capacity:
Government entities committed to public lighting often lack
qualified personnel to manage the implementation, monitoring,
and verification of Energy Efficiency (EE) projects such as public
lighting.
Municipalities suffer particularly from resources that lack the
skills necessary to install and maintain lighting infrastructure.
Since the responsibility of operating and maintaining the lighting
network falls entirely upon municipalities, it is expected that a
team in charge of public lighting be part of the technical personnel
to manage and plan preventive and curative interventions.
The absence of aid from a government institution whose objec-
tive is to support and advise municipalities on questions linked to
public lighting prevents municipalities from improving their
installations and benefiting from counsel concerning the best tech-
nologies and public lighting management practices to adopt. This
absence of structure, resources, expertise, and technical support
is detrimental to the quality, energy performance, and mainte-
nance of installations. Even if various municipalities undertake
numerous public lighting projects[14], the lack of coordination
among government institutions, absence of objectives and an
action plan aimed at installing measures outlined in the national
strategy all prevent deployed efforts from converging into a stan-
dardization of the public lighting network. To remedy this lack of
vision, planning, coordination, and follow-up, it is imperative that
a series of institutional arrangements be made to develop Moroc-
can public lighting and effectively manage all organization, devel-
opment, and follow-up activities thereof.
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 Political Challenges:
A great challenge faced by municipalities is the preservation
and tracking of enhanced performance indicators on public lighting
network operations. The national strategy implementation plan
includes 17 measures that constitute the primordial pillars of an
evolution toward a sustainable and reliable public lighting stock
[14]. A detailed action plan to implement these measures will pro-
vide the answers and means necessary that municipalities hope
for.
 Technical Challenges:
The absence of a regulatory manual or technical specifications
handbook adapted to Moroccan public lighting constitutes one of
the main problems for managing public lighting network expan-
sion projects. Despite the existence of the Moroccan standard
NM 13,201 on required lighting levels, it is not yet mandatory in
public lighting specifications.
Moreover, the absence of a representative map of the public
lighting network within municipalities constitutes another prob-
lem. In fact, very few municipalities possess a realistic estimate
of the lighting equipment installed on their respective territories
since no comprehensive national inventory exists. This lack of
national inventory is surely one of the greatest barriers to imple-
menting an efficient and adapted solution to the current situation.
Without appropriate technical standards and clear instructions
on how to operate and maintain streetlights for the benefit of
stakeholders, the perpetuity of the public lighting sector seems
uncertain, and adequate transformation remains improbable[15].
 Important Need of Upgrade:
The references, studies and documents consulted, as well as
exchanges with different public lighting market stakeholders indi-
cate that the current state of luminaires, circuitry units, and the
public lighting stock reflects a very poor level of curative mainte-
nance and the absence of preventative maintenance. The personnel
in charge of operations and maintenance are often overloaded and
cannot therefore take the needed corrective and preventive action.
Proper maintenance requires proper human resources and equip-
ment, as well as a rigorous plan, which is far from being the case
for the majority of municipalities. The numbers presented on out-
age rates and the dilapidated state of equipment reflects this inca-
pacity to ensure proper operations and adequate maintenance. The
lack of maintenance results in, among others, dilapidated equip-
ment, frequent outages, reduced useful life cycles, quite low light-
ing levels, and reduced safety[16].
A detailed assessment of the current state of installations in
each municipality is necessary to define the real needs and imple-
ment a recovery and renovation plan. The implementation of a
public lighting system transformation project notably targets cir-
cuitry and distribution units, as well as cables and protective pan-
els. Without this, installed systems will neither ensure increased
functionality nor offer the desired reliability that public lighting
must provide.
Upgrading installed systems will perpetuate the hoped-for
gains resulting from the Energy Efficiency (EE) measures, control
the performance of installations and the output and quality of ser-
vices rendered, ensure measurement and verification (M&V), and
finally validate contractual obligations in the case of Energy Perfor-
mance Contract (EPC).
Y. Kasseh, A. Touzani and S. El Majaty
 Lack of Financial Resources
The lack of access of adapted financing for municipalities to
cover the costs of implementing the necessary infrastructure,
maintaining it, and securing energy supply (in the case of programs
that include significant expansions) all constitute the most impor-
tant barriers to transforming the public lighting network in most
municipalities. The latter are solely responsible for the operations
and maintenance of public lighting, as intended by law. However,
they are unable to fully fulfil this responsibility, which leaves the
public lighting network in a general state of disrepair.
Municipalities have recourse to different types of revenues to
finance their public lighting networks. These revenues can be
divided into three categories:
 Local own-source taxation, comprising local taxes (different
taxes, fees and contributions from different sectors such as real
estate, administrative, commercial, or even tourism) and taxes
managed and collected by the fiscal authorities on behalf of
municipalities (professional, municipal, and municipal service
taxes).
 Transfers from the central government according to current or
special needs.
 Other revenues, including income from assets, previous sur-
pluses, and loans.
6.2. Proposal of governance mechanisms for public lighting
Morocco has already gained experience in the implementation
of public lighting projects. This experience has enabled the devel-
opment, testing and further development of an implementation
mechanism adapted to local legislation. Other implementation
mechanisms have also been tested and their limitations and bene-
fits demonstrated.
Recognizing that: the experience gained has allowed the devel-
opment of implementation mechanisms well adapted to the speci-
fic conditions in Morocco and these mechanisms are now known to
Fig. 4. Project Implementation Based on the SDL Mechanism.
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some extent by municipalities and different market actors, it is
appropriate to use this asset in the design and implementation of
the national programme.
The choice of implementation mechanism was made on the
basis of an existing model of public lighting management in Mor-
occo, namely the local development company (SDL).
The proposed management approach has been designed taking
into account the current institutional context and the success fac-
tors of similar programmes in the international experiences
described.
The Local development corporation (SDL) implementation
mechanism (hereinafter referred to as the SDL mechanism) is the
most appropriate to implement the program because it has been
developed in response to legal and institutional constraints related
to Public Lighting (PL) sector investments in municipalities. This
mechanism has been proven effective, is well known and, more
importantly, has been improved throughout the course of Public
Lighting (PL) projects in municipalities. Another reason for this
selection is the current initiative to adjust the financial framework
to facilitate Public Lighting (PL) project financing under the Local
development corporation (SDL) mechanism. This adjustment ren-
ders the Local development corporation (SDL) mechanism all the
more appropriate to the program.
The Local development corporation (SDL) mechanism is the
product of the creation of an Local development corporation
(SDL) and is situated and the junction between delegated manage-
ment and the public–private partnership. It is a legal means of per-
mitting municipalities to associate itself with a private party to
manage public lighting. This mechanism is based on equal shared
risks and benefits for both parties, in this case the municipality
and the Local development corporation (SDL). An Energy Perfor-
mance Contract (EPC) is instituted between the municipality and
the Local development corporation (SDL) acting as an Energy ser-
vice company (ESCO) that assumes the investment risk and is
remunerated from the profit of the energy savings in accordance
with the established performance objectives. Fig. 4 further below
illustrates the organisational structure of the mechanism. This
Y. Kasseh, A. Touzani and S. El Majaty
mechanism has been developed to meet the requirements of the
Moroccan institutional framework, tested in a few municipalities,
and improved throughout the course of projects.
7. Conclusion
Morocco, in full economic and industrial expansion, facing soci-
etal challenges, while respecting its commitments in terms of sus-
tainable development, aims to achieve ambitious objectives of
non-polluting energy independence. An energy efficiency strategy
has been adopted, one of the main axes of which is the efficiency
of public lighting services. With the exception of a few cities, the
overall vision for the management of street lighting is absent from
the strategies of municipalities, resulting in a lack of planning,
maintenance and management of this energy consuming sector.
This is especially true since local authorities do not have a service
structure in charge of public lighting. Local authorities are there-
fore called upon to place the public lighting service at the heart
of a system of governance and management of public affairs. Since
the primary role of street lighting is to contribute to public safety
at night and to assist users in their night-time activities, the gover-
nance model for street lighting should be based on the following
principles The governance model for public lighting has a strong
impact on the achievement of energy efficiency objectives in this
sector, and the choice of one model over another depends on the
financial and management capacities and strategies adopted by
municipalities for municipal services. It is worth noting that local
development companies (LDCs) are increasingly being used by
municipalities as a new instrument to manage many vital services
such as rubbish, parking, transport and street lighting. The Moroc-
can authorities are paying particular attention to this and are
encouraging the development of the Local Development Company
(LDC). This allows for the integration of private sector management
models while maintaining a level of administrative control for the
public authorities. As of March 2016, the city of Casablanca had
already created seven Local Development Companies (LDCs) for
its services. Following the field diagnostics carried out in the
framework of this study, we recommend the implementation of a
mode of governance of the SDLs that seems well adapted to the
Moroccan institutional framework and that has been well estab-
lished by the various national and international experiences. It also
allows the use of a financing mechanism specifically designed for
municipal development projects. This management method is part
of the public–private partnership. This is a legal way for municipal-
ities to partner with a private actor to manage public lighting. This
mechanism is based on an equal sharing of risks and benefits for
both parties, in this case the municipality and the Local Develop-
ment Company (LDC). An energy performance contract (EPC) is
established between the local development company (LDC) and
the municipality, with the LDC assuming the investment risk and
being remunerated by the benefits of energy savings according to
the established performance targets. This mode of governance is
currently being implemented in the city of Marrakech after a first
experience in the city of Sale. The research perspectives can extend
the evaluation of the improvement of the performance of public
lighting in the city of Marrakech after the deployment of this mode
of governance.
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CRediT authorship contribution statement
Youssef Kasseh: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing –
original draft. Abdellatif Touzani: Supervision. Salma El Majaty:
Visualization.
Data availability
No data was used for the research described in the article.
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing finan-
cial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared
to influence the work reported in this paper.
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