The Poujoulat Group has taken an active approach to preserving the environment. As part of the company's environmental responsibility, one of the issues identified concerns the reduction of its carbon footprint, through the control of its energy consumption and the use of low-carbon energies.
After installing a biomass boiler in 2012 to cover more than 80% of its heating needs, Poujoulat continues its quest for energy independence with the installation of a self-consumption photovoltaic power plant on its Niort site.
Nearly 10% of electricity needs covered
The Poujoulat Group, already supplied with low-carbon electricity, has revised its supply contract so that the supply of electricity is mainly renewable. In addition, since March 9, 2022 with the commissioning of the new self-consumption photovoltaic solar power plant, Poujoulat has added an additional renewable supply to cover its needs.
In front of the Poujoulat Atrium, now stand 744 panels with a total surface area of 1.240 m2. With a power of 245 kWp, the self-consumption rate is 91%. Injected into the common network for the entire site, the electricity thus produced will cover almost 10% of the needs of the offices and the factory.
For Frédéric Coirier, CEO of the Poujoulat Group: “Being the European leader in chimney flues gives us a great responsibility and a duty to set an example vis-à-vis our employees, our partners, our customers, but also society and the planet. This is why the company is mobilizing around a long-term commitment, entitled Positive Relations, for better energy and environmental performance, of which the reduction of our carbon footprint is an integral part. »
The implementation of the plant was carried out by the Rennes company Armorgreen, a player in renewable energies, a subsidiary of the Legendre group, between November 2021 and March 2022.
Worth €236.120, the expected return on investment for the installation is 10 years.
An investment financed with the help of the Nouvelle Aquitaine region
This photovoltaic plant, along with other projects to control the site's energy consumption to come (presence detection and intelligent lighting control, installation of submeters and verification of compressed air leaks, heat recovery on the oven discharges and speed variators on the extractor fans and filter pressure regulation on paint line 1.), received significant support from the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. The company thus benefited from a subsidy of €150.000 for all of these investments for a total amount of €805.940.
For Alain Rousset, president of the regional council of Nouvelle-Aquitaine: “The Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region has financially supported the Poujoulat group in its energy transition for two reasons: firstly, because its project is unique in combining the control of its energy consumption and the self-consumption of solar energy. Then, because this project is fully in line with the objectives of Neo Terra, the Region's roadmap voted in 2019 and intended to accelerate the energy and ecological transition. Finally, let us remember that the context of strong tension on the main energy markets makes these approaches that reduce carbon emissions and improve the resilience of our territorial economic players ever more relevant. »
Key figures of the photovoltaic power plant
Power : 245 kWc
Estimated investment: ~ €236.120 // €0,963/Wp
Surface panels: ~ 1.240 m² // 744 panels
Self-consumption rate: (TAC %) ~ 91%
Energy recovered: 292 MWh/year
Performance Index: 82,43%
Return on investment (ROI): 10 years ago,
CO2: 18 tons/year
