Startup to build wood solar canopies for collective energy in France

November 22, 2024

BoucL Énergie says it will install wooden-framed parking canopies in southern France, as part of a future collective self-consumption plan.

November 22, 2024
Francois Puthod

From pv magazine France

French startup BoucL Énergi, a subsidiary of EverWatt, is constructing photovoltaic canopies on a municipal parking lot on Chemin de la Carrierasse in Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie, Gard, in southern France.

The solar carports will support a collective self-consumption initiative that involves the municipality, local businesses, craftsmen, and shops, aiming to enhance sustainable energy use within the community.

“We have just signed the temporary occupation agreement,” BoucL Énergie CEO Jérôme Owczarczak told pv magazine France.

The project is scheduled for completion by the end of the second quarter of 2025, after securing permits and consulting contractors.

The wooden-framed PV canopies, chosen for aesthetics and a lower carbon footprint despite higher costs and maintenance, will include a 961 kW system with 2,200 solar panels and 264 parking spaces.

The installation will feature 14 EV charging stations and generate 1,283 MWh per year, covering the consumption of over 250 homes.

The energy will support municipal buildings, businesses, and artisans within a 10 km radius as part of a collective self-consumption initiative.

“We have already received expressions of interest from the surrounding area, but there is no point in rushing to market,” said Owczarczak. “It is better to wait until the canopies are visible, as they are not scheduled to be put into service until the end of next year.”

BoucL Énergie, the project’s financier through recent fundraising, said it expects to offer electricity prices of €100 ($104.8)/MWh to €120/MWh for participants in the planned collective self-consumption operation.

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