Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, is delighted and honored to have contributed, by means of donations, to the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The donated solutions have made it possible to secure and monitor the site’s electrical facilities. The Building Management System (BMS) is thus able to manage and optimize the monument’s energy consumption, incorporating 21st century innovations into a cathedral that represents a high point in medieval art, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991.
The fire that severely damaged the cathedral on April 15, 2019, sparked an incredible wave of solidarity that Schneider Electric wanted to be a part of. “It’s an obvious move for Schneider Electric to support actions of this type for symbolic and prestigious sites, as we have done in the past for the Comédie Française state theater and the Antarctic station,” highlights Gilles Vermot Desroches, Director of Citizenship, and Institutional Affairs at Schneider Electric.
Schneider Electric provided expertise, products, and solutions thanks to a donation agreement. As such, the Group supplied all the equipment required to supply power to the site and for its security (20 kV HV cells, a 20 kV/410V 1250 kVA transformer, general and divisional electrical switchboards, inverters, safety lighting, devices etc.), as well as the tools for the technical management of the building, making it possible to monitor the functioning of the network and control its power consumption (automatic control systems, sensors, controllers, communication buses etc.).
In addition to the equipment, Schneider Electric is carrying out some of the maintenance of the electrical distribution equipment, providing some of the engineering, studies, commissioning, and programming of the installed systems, as well as the training of future users.
The old electrical installation was inoperable due to the fire and without electricity, reopening was impossible. The new network ensures the distribution and security of the energy supply, incorporating innovative solutions and cutting-edge technologies that optimize the management of its electricity consumption and help ensure the safety of the cathedral.
The project team opted for cutting-edge fire safety solutions:
• Additional devices for enhanced fire protection and prevention (Acti9 Active AFDD) for the socket circuits.
• Overheating cable sensors (HeatTags) in all electrical cabinets.
These two innovations ensure the facility functions properly through continuous monitoring and by sending alerts in the event of any changes, even before a problem occurs.
The project team had to deal with a large number of technical issues demanding ingenuity and preparation.
In addition to providing infrastructure, around 60 Schneider Electric employees (from factory workers to the site’s network designers) contributed knowledge and expertise as part of a skills transfer program. Schneider Electric’s support also included training partner companies such as the panel builder Ateliers Electriques de France (based in Val-de-Marne) to install the main low-voltage cabinet, FBS Electricité (based in Seine-Maritime) to install the high-voltage substation, ERM (based in Eure) to create specific support structures and Transport Avex (based in Val-de-Marne) to carry out the extremely tricky handling operations in the basement of the presbytery.
