Question: How much parking space do you estimate for shopping centers in France likely to receive carports producing solar electricity?
Answer: "Ademe has identified 843 industrial and urban wastelands that can receive photovoltaic installations, and we estimate that in this total, there are between 90 and 150 million square meters of car parks of more than 2.500 square meters likely to be equipped in shadehouses.
We already equip hospitals, such as that of Evreux, certain factories such as that of Bledina in Brive-la-Gaillarde in Corrèze, or Evian in Haute-Savoie, and are beginning to equip shopping centres. On average, each piece of equipment costs 1 million euros per site, and covers 30% of our customers' daily energy needs.
We rent the parking spaces through a lease with the distributors, to whom we then resell the solar electricity at a lower price than the market price. The EDF and Engie subsidiaries, which are our main competitors, have the same business model as us. We are coming with investors, the installation costs the shopping centers nothing, and allows them to make a profit from the first year".
Q: This would represent how much electricity supplied?
A: "Supermarket car parks represent a huge reservoir of energy. If we equipped only half of these car parks, it's as if we were producing 2 gigawatt hours per year in solar electricity, or as much as 1,2 EPR (nuclear) per year.
France is very late on the subject because we see such shadehouses almost everywhere in Europe. You have to think that this type of equipment can also promote the development of electric vehicles, because underneath you can install terminals powered in part by solar energy, which would allow voluntary shopping centers to offer free recharges to their customers.
Q: Where do you source the materials for the solar panels? What have you planned for the recycling of end-of-life solar panels?
A: "The contracts provide for end of life and recycling, each customer can choose to replace the panels or remove them. The panels are guaranteed for at least 25 years. The galvanized steel is French and we also have a French supplier of photovoltaic panels. There is already a recycling plant in Roussillon and a second in the process of being created."