Solar street light tender specification for Morocco

A solar street light tender specification (the CPS, cahier des prescriptions spéciales) for a Moroccan commune comes down to six measurable clauses: the NM EN 13201 lighting class of each road, the NM 06.8.001 autonomy test (16 h continuous at ≥ 40 % of rated flux, at 25 °C), the battery described in V, Ah and Wh with ≥ 5 years of service, the IP and IK ratings, a pole hot-dip galvanised to NM ISO 1461 and the list of documents to be attached to the bid. A specification that stops at “200 W solar street light, IP65, 1-year warranty” allows no comparison between bids and leaves the commune without recourse at acceptance. Here is what a design office or a technical department can reuse, clause by clause.

What do the September 2026 tenders say?

On marchespublics.gov.ma, the autumn 2026 consultations speak one language: “solar lighting works in all the ksour” (Commune of Figuig, 05/2026/CF), “public lighting by solar energy panels” (El Foqra, 02/2026/CTELFOQRA), “solar public lighting works for the communes of the region” (AREP Béni Mellal-Khénifra, 208/2026), lighting of old quarters and douars (Dcheira El Jihadia, 41/2026), “solar luminaires” (DGM, 66/2026). Notice 31/2026 from the rural commune of El Maader El Kabir (Tiznit province) is the most detailed: 160 “200 W” and 20 “500 W” LED solar floodlights, monocrystalline panel, IP65, 50,000 h, warranty ≥ 1 year, with the wording “Ingelec or equivalent”. The wording is correct under procurement law — it opens competition — but it shows the weakness of most specifications: a commercial “power” in watts defines neither the flux in lumens, nor the stored energy in Wh, nor the light level on the ground.

Which lighting class should be written for each road?

NM 06.8.001 assumes the contracting authority has set an NM EN 13201 lighting class for each road. This is the clause that makes bids comparable: the supplier must prove by a photometric calculation (IES or LDT file, DIALux or equivalent) that its head, at the proposed height and spacing, reaches the required average and minimum illuminance. Two nomenclatures coexist in Morocco: NM 06.1.225 (2013) adopts EN 13201-2:2003 (ME, CE and S classes); the 2015 edition uses M, C and P classes. Write both, with the lux values. The selection below is indicative, following the logic of CEN/TR 13201-1; the model is confirmed by the photometric calculation and spacing depends on carriageway width (details in our NM EN 13201 classes guide).

How should the autonomy and battery clause be written?

Replace “3 nights autonomy” with the standard's test: “autonomy verified by test to NM 06.8.001: 16 h of continuous operation at no less than 40 % of rated flux, at 25 °C, test report attached”. Describe the battery in four values — chemistry, nominal voltage (12–48 V DC in the draft standard), capacity in Ah, energy in Wh — with the service life ≥ 5 years, the safety standard (NM CEI 62133 for LiFePO4 and Li-ion) and the permitted location: box at the pole base, concrete foundation or luminaire, accessible without removing the panel. Finally, require the sizing to be presented for December: in Casablanca a horizontal panel receives 2.99 kWh/m²/day in December against 7.51 in June (PVGIS-SARAH2 2005-2020, JRC); Tanger 2.58, Agadir 3.62, Ouarzazate 3.81. A supplier who sizes on the annual mean (5.2 to 6.2 kWh/m²/day depending on the city) delivers a street light that goes dark in winter. Ask for the default dimming profile and the Wh per night balance: that table is what you will compare, not the marketing figure in watts (calculation method).

Luminaire, controller, IP and IK: which thresholds to set?

For the luminaire, take the draft standard: efficacy ≥ 130 lm/W measured on the complete luminaire to NM IEC 62722-2-1, LED modules to NM IEC 62717 and NM EN 62031, rated flux in lumens, colour temperature fixed by the contracting authority (3000 K, 4000 K or 6500 K). For the controller: 0–100 % dimming, astronomical clock, automatic dimming from night length and remaining energy, output ≤ 48 V DC, service life ≥ 5 years; remote management (NM IEC 62386) remains optional and is priced separately. IP and IK are “specified by the client” (§7): a silent specification requires nothing. Our recommendation: IP66 and IK08 for coastal lots (Casablanca, Mohammedia, El Jadida, Agadir, Tanger), IP65 and IK08 inland, with NM EN 60529 and NM EN 62262 reports. The lowest edge of the panel must be ≥ 3 m above finished ground (§5.2). The other clauses are explained in our NM 06.8.001 guide.

Pole and civil works: what to ask for?

The pole is the heaviest item in the lot and the one customs watches: imported poles are subject to a 25 % safeguard measure (HS 7308.90.10, all origins, definitive since March 2025). In our bids the pole is of Moroccan origin (25 % safeguard duty on imported poles, HS 7308.90.10); the customs classification of the luminaire is confirmed by our freight forwarder. The specification cites NM EN 40-4/-5/-6/-7 or NM EN 14229, hot-dip galvanising to NM ISO 1461 (mean coating ≥ 85 µm for steel ≥ 6 mm, 70 µm for 3–6 mm), an NM ISO 12944 corrosivity class suited to the site, a foundation with anchor cage and, for a split kit, a battery box at the pole base or in the foundation (§5.4). LALOGO supplies Moroccan pole makers with the drawings of the LS-P6 conical pole (5.7 to 7.8 m, wall 1.5–2.75 mm, anchor cage included); LS-B arms and panel brackets (15–45° tilt) ship with the luminaires.

Which documents should the bid contain?

1. Cم declaration of conformity (Law 24-09, Order 3228-13, Orders 2573-14 and 2574-14) and low-voltage and EMC reports (NM IEC 60598-1, NM EN 60598-2-3, NM EN 55015, NM IEC 61547).
2. Photometric report of the complete luminaire (flux, lm/W to NM IEC 62722-2-1), IES or LDT file and illuminance calculation per road type.
3. NM 06.8.001 autonomy test report and battery sheet (chemistry, V, Ah, Wh, NM CEI 62133, service life).
4. Controller sheet: default dimming profile, astronomical clock, adaptive dimming, voltage.
5. Certificates for PV modules (NM CEI 61215 / 61730), IP and IK ratings (NM EN 60529 / NM EN 62262) and pole galvanising (NM ISO 1461).
6. §9 marking plan (unique ID, brand, year, battery, “NM 06.8.001”) and operation manual at least in Arabic (§10).
7. December sizing note for the city of the site.

Add one sentence of scope: “values declared without a test report are not taken into account”. That sentence is what removes a street light sold as “300 W” with no lumens and no Wh.

Warranty, acceptance and maintenance: which clauses?

The warranty visible on the Moroccan market is one year, while the draft standard asks for ≥ 5 years of service life for the controller and the battery. Write separate warranties — luminaire and LED modules, battery (residual capacity guaranteed at term), controller, pole and anti-corrosion treatment — and have a stock of spare batteries priced as an option. Accept in two stages: by day (marking plate, panel at ≥ 3 m, tightening, accessible box), then by night with a lux meter on the calculation grid, plus a visit after the first winter. The Arabic manual states the expected seasonal performance: it is what will tell you, in January, whether the street light is working “as designed”. LALOGO warranty: see the conditions in the quotation.

Where to publish the tender and how do suppliers respond?

Consultations go through marchespublics.gov.ma: free supplier account, Moroccan companies identified by their 15-digit ICE and trade register number, a dedicated path for companies not established in Morocco with French and English templates, daily or weekly alerts by keyword and by region. Referring to NM standards in the technical specifications is mandatory (Law 12-06 art. 35, Decree 2-22-431 art. 5). Small orders are often placed by purchase order after comparing three quotations; even then, attaching the clauses above protects the commune. For the structure of a douar project and the role of the PRDTS, see our communes and douars page.

Table: model clauses to reuse in a specification

Key takeaways

• A solar street light specification is judged on measurable values: NM EN 13201 class per road, 16 h at ≥ 40 % flux, battery in V, Ah and Wh with ≥ 5 years of service, ≥ 130 lm/W, IP and IK stated.
• Require sizing for December (2.58 to 3.97 kWh/m²/day depending on the city) and the Wh per night balance, not a commercial power in watts.
• The pole is Moroccan (25 % safeguard duty), galvanised to NM ISO 1461, and can house the battery at its base or in the foundation.
• Without a test report a datasheet value does not count; without IP and IK written down there is no requirement.
• The NM 06.8.001 clauses are quoted from the September 2024 draft: check the homologated text with IMANOR.

Sources

• Public procurement portal of the Kingdom of Morocco, September 2026 notices — marchespublics.gov.ma
• IMANOR, draft PNM 06.8.001 (EP 52/2024) — PDF
• IMANOR, Guide “Application des normes dans les marchés publics – Éclairage public”, February 2026 — PDF
• M, C and P class values of EN 13201-2:2015 — lightzoomlumiere.fr
• NM 06.1.225 (2013), adoption of EN 13201-2:2003 — scribd.com
• PVGIS 5.2, SARAH2 database 2005-2020, JRC, European Commission — re.jrc.ec.europa.eu
• MCINET, products subject to the Cم marking — mcinet.gov.ma
• Le360, safeguard measures on public-lighting poles — fr.le360.ma