Renewable energy company Enfinity has opened two solar photovoltaic projects in Les Mées; the company’s largest ground-based arrays built in France. The launch coincides with the current Journées Européennes du Solaire (European Solar Days) celebration (9 - 15 May).
Despite challenging economic conditions, Enfinity was able to complete the construction of the two solar power installations. The Les Mées projects represents a 70 million euro investment and employment for 350 people involved in building and other activities during its nine month construction period. Occupying a surface area of 36 hectares, the projects use 79,000 installed modules, generating up to 18.2 MW (12 MW and 6.2 MW respectively).
With , Enfinity’s Les Mées project will have an annual output of 26,000,000 kWh.
The solar power stations were acquired by the “Doric Solar Provence” fund. Enfinity, which was responsible for their construction and commissioning, currently guarantees their operation and maintenance.
Constructing these solar power stations on a plateau at an altitude of 800 metres presented a real challenge for Enfinity: the solar arrays had to be designed for the best energy output possible while avoiding any “eyesore” problems for the people of the Les Mées and Puimichel villages. Enfinity took additional steps to integrate the PV arrays into the landscape with the novel idea of planting a variety of wild grasses at the sites to create a grazing area for sheep.
The photovoltaic panels, installed at the sites without the use of concrete foundations, will be recycled at the end of their 20 year life span – thus leaving behind healthy land that can be used for agriculture.
The solar power stations were installed on the Puimichel plateau (municipality of Les Mées) - one of the most favourable areas of France for solar exposure, yielding up to 1,556 kWh/m² annually. In addition the sites’ altitude of 800 metres ensures ideal ventilation, which in turn guarantees an optimal output of 10 to 15% above average.
Steven De Tollenaere, CEO of Enfinity Group said "Enfinity is proud to announce the completion of the Les Mées projects. We believe these installations demonstrate the benefits of large-scale photovoltaic plants, and how they can contribute to the development of the local economy and to the growth of the renewable energy sector. Despite the obstacles facing the solar PV world, Enfinity is committed to further developing France’s solar PV network – indeed, we are actively pursuing more PV opportunities in France right now.”
