Cathedrals, ramparts, bridges, covered markets or listed façades: architectural heritage is one of a territory's greatest assets for attractiveness. At night, illuminating it extends the experience for residents and visitors, supports tourism and strengthens the municipality's identity. But heritage lighting must now reconcile three requirements: to amaze, to consume less and to comply with strict regulations on light pollution.
This is where smart lighting changes the game. By connecting floodlights, luminaires and cabinets to an IoT platform, local authorities can remotely control dynamic lighting scenarios, adjust schedules to the cultural calendar and track every kilowatt-hour consumed. Intelligent lighting thus becomes a fully fledged tool for showcasing heritage, at the heart of smart city and connected sustainable territory strategies.
Contents
- How can you showcase your architectural heritage with smart lighting?
- Examples of Kuzzle projects: which territories already control their lighting intelligently?
- FAQ on scenographic lighting and IoT
How can you showcase your architectural heritage with smart lighting?
The answer comes down to one idea: manage light as data. Connected scenographic lighting makes it possible to programme, adjust and supervise every heritage illumination from a single tool, with no on-site intervention.
What is smart scenographic lighting?
Scenographic lighting stages a building through light: colour effects, intensity variations, temporary animations. It differs from functional lighting, whose primary purpose remains travel safety.
Made smart by IoT, it relies on three building blocks:
- connected controllers installed in the cabinet or directly on each light point;
- a communication network (LoRaWAN, radio mesh, cellular) that reports data and sends commands;
- a hypervision platform that centralises programming, alerts and consumption analysis.
Which lighting scenarios can enhance a monument?
The value of a heritage illumination lies in its ability to tell a different story depending on the moment. With a smart lighting system, staff can:
- synchronise lighting with the cultural calendar: festivals, European Heritage Days, end-of-year celebrations, commemorations;
- configure fine effects: colours, durations, gradients, twinkling;
- adapt programming to the seasons and clock changes, without travelling on site;
- combine scenography and permanent lighting on a single calendar, street by street or point by point;
- schedule automatic switch-off at the time set by regulations.
This is precisely the smart scenographic lighting use case described by Kuzzle: harmonising the events calendar, animation scenarios and the programming of the permanent lighting stock in a single tool, so that showcasing the territory is no longer a technical challenge for teams.
How does IoT control heritage illumination?
Two control levels coexist in most territories:
| Control level | What it allows | Typical heritage use |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet level | Programming, dimming, switch-on and switch-off for one or more streets | Illumination of a historic district or a row of façades |
| Light-point level | Individual adjustment of each luminaire or floodlight, fine-grained failure detection | Scenography of a monument, a bridge or a forecourt |
The main pitfall is the heterogeneity of the lighting stock: controllers from different brands, multiple protocols (TALQ, DALI, D4i), varied connectivity. A vendor-agnostic platform, able to communicate with all this equipment, avoids lock-in to a proprietary ecosystem and protects investments already made.
What advantages does the Kuzzle platform bring to smart lighting?
Kuzzle Hypervision controls all lighting types in a unified way, from functional public lighting to heritage illumination. Its strengths:
- Advanced scenario design: colours, timings, gradients and twinkling configured from a single tool.
- Fewer trips: up to 40% fewer trips related to programming and maintenance, thanks to remote management and failure detection.
- Greater responsiveness: emergency switch-on command and immediate alert in the event of an untimely switch-off or switch-on.
- Controlled consumption: cross-referencing programming and consumption data to find the right balance between lighting effect and energy savings.
- Interoperability: a stock that is heterogeneous in models and connectivity, controlled from the same interface.
- Interfaces tailored to each profile: rights management for technicians, cultural departments and elected officials.
- Data sovereignty: an open source foundation, with no dependence on a single vendor.
These functions rely on the Kuzzle smart city IoT platform, which connects the territory's equipment, and on customisable IoT dashboards.
Which regulations govern heritage illumination?
Any heritage illumination must comply with two bodies of law: light pollution law (Environmental Code) and monument protection law (Heritage Code).
The light pollution framework
- Article L.110-1 of the French Environmental Code recognises night landscapes as part of the nation's common heritage.
- Articles L.583-1 to L.583-5 of the Environmental Code, created by article 173 of the Grenelle II law of 12 July 2010, form the basis for preventing light pollution. Articles R.583-1 to R.583-7, derived from Decree No. 2011-831 of 12 July 2011, set out how they apply.
- The order of 27 December 2018 on the prevention, reduction and limitation of light pollution expressly covers, in its article 1 b), heritage illumination within the meaning of article L.1 of the Heritage Code.
- Its article 2 requires lighting to be switched on no earlier than sunset and switched off no later than 1 am. Exemptions exist, particularly for exceptional local events.
- The order prohibits excessive light intrusion into homes and tightens requirements in protected natural areas.
- A second order of 27 December 2018 protects eleven astronomical observation sites, within a 10 km radius, pursuant to article R.583-4 of the Environmental Code.
- Checks are carried out by the mayor, or by the State for municipal installations (article L.583-3 of the Environmental Code).
Protection of built heritage
- Works on a building listed as a historic monument, including the installation of floodlights, require authorisation (article L.621-9 of the Heritage Code).
- In the vicinity of a historic monument (defined perimeter or, failing that, 500 metres within sight of it), works altering the exterior appearance require the approval of the Architecte des Bâtiments de France (ABF), the State's heritage architect (articles L.621-30 and L.621-32 of the Heritage Code).
- In remarkable heritage sites (sites patrimoniaux remarquables), works are also subject to prior authorisation (article L.632-1 of the Heritage Code).
- Finally, the mayor exercises police powers over lighting under article L.2212-2 of the General Local Authorities Code.
| Requirement | Reference text | What IoT makes easier |
|---|---|---|
| Switch-off at 1 am at the latest | Order of 27/12/2018, art. 2 | Automatic switch-off, scheduled and logged |
| Event-based exemptions | Order of 27/12/2018, art. 2 | Temporary scenario activated and deactivated remotely |
| Limiting nuisance | Environmental Code, L.583-1 et seq. | Dimming, fine adjustment of intensities |
| ABF approval | Heritage Code, L.621-32 | Lighting effect adjustable without further work on the building |
| Checks by the mayor or the State | Environmental Code, L.583-3 | History of schedules and consumption as proof of compliance |
A connected platform thus turns regulatory compliance into configuration: switch-off times are applied automatically and the data history documents compliance with the rules.
How can you make your heritage smart lighting project a success?
Kuzzle's experience with public lighting highlights five best practices:
- Map actual connectivity around the sites, which are often located in dense historic centres, before any deployment.
- Start with a pilot project on one monument or district, with measurable objectives, then extend.
- Involve future users (technical, cultural and tourism departments) to get simple interfaces.
- Link alerts to existing business tools, such as the CMMS or GIS.
- Mobilise available funding: regions, European funds, ADEME depending on the project. Energy savings certificates (CEE) fund the renovation of functional public lighting, but not heritage illuminations.
Examples of Kuzzle projects: which territories already control their lighting intelligently?
From energy syndicates to urban communities, several local authorities already rely on Kuzzle to control their lighting, supervise their built heritage or help people discover their territory. These foundations can be directly used for heritage lighting scenography.
Territoire d'Énergie du Tarn: 67% energy savings on public lighting
Together with Toulouse-based SME Kawantech, Kuzzle has deployed a public lighting supervision platform. Each light point is fitted with a Kara sensor and a DALI D4i LED driver, compatible with the open Zhaga standard.
- Remote switch-on, switch-off and intensity adjustment.
- Lighting rules that vary according to the time of night or the period of the year.
- Alerts in the event of a malfunction and a real-time map of streetlights.
- 67% energy savings announced, with data hosted in a structure that guarantees the digital sovereignty of territories.
Morbihan Énergies: more than 75,000 light points on a shared platform
The departmental syndicate pools data for its 249 member municipalities thanks to Kuzzle's data platform, complemented by the Kuzzle IoT building block.
- More than 75,000 light points monitored from a single point.
- An annual public lighting budget of €10M better controlled thanks to real-time monitoring and anticipation of interventions.
- Data that can be reused by all the territory's hypervisors, with no vendor lock-in.
Alès Agglomération: territorial hypervision serving heritage
Across 72 municipalities at the gateway to the Cévennes, whose landscapes are UNESCO World Heritage listed, Alès Agglomération manages 9 use cases from a territorial hypervision platform built with Kuzzle over 4 years.
- Supervision of public lighting-related elements, including energy data.
- Monitoring of conservation conditions for works in museums (temperature, humidity), with alerts in the event of deviations.
- More than 100 public buildings supervised and in-house teams trained to deploy new uses independently.
This project shows that a single foundation can bring together built heritage, cultural heritage and lighting: an ideal basis for adding scenographic illumination.
Do you have a heritage illumination project? Request a demo of the Kuzzle platform to discover unified control of your smart lighting.
FAQ on scenographic lighting and IoT
What is smart lighting applied to heritage?
Heritage smart lighting refers to the illumination of monuments and façades with connected luminaires, controlled remotely via an IoT platform. It makes it possible to programme scenarios, adjust intensities and monitor consumption in real time.
Until what time can a historic monument be lit?
The order of 27 December 2018 requires heritage illumination to be switched off at 1 am at the latest, with switch-on no earlier than sunset. Exemptions are possible, particularly for exceptional local events.
Is authorisation required to install lighting on a listed monument?
Yes. Works on a listed building require authorisation under article L.621-9 of the Heritage Code. In the vicinity of a historic monument, the approval of the Architecte des Bâtiments de France is required (article L.621-32).
What savings does smart lighting deliver?
Gains combine energy and operations. The project carried out with Kawantech in the Tarn shows 67% energy savings, and cabinet-level remote management reduces trips related to programming and maintenance by up to 40%.
Can luminaires from different brands be controlled on the same platform?
Yes, provided you choose an interoperable platform. The Kuzzle hypervisor controls lighting stocks that are heterogeneous in models and connectivity (LoRaWAN, radio mesh, cellular), compatible with open standards such as Zhaga and D4i.
How does smart lighting fit into a sustainable smart city approach?
It reduces electricity consumption, limits light pollution that affects nocturnal biodiversity and showcases the heritage that makes the territory attractive. Integrated into a hypervision platform, it shares its data with other urban services: buildings, energy, mobility.
What funding is available for a connected heritage lighting project?
Depending on the project, local authorities can mobilise regional subsidies, European funds or ADEME programmes. Energy savings certificates (CEE) fund the renovation of functional public lighting, but not heritage illuminations. Energy syndicates often help municipalities put their applications together.
