Urbasolar has launched France’s largest rooftop solar project in Beauvais, covering 62,000 square meters and generating 13 GWh annually. This rooftop solar project will power around 3,000 households and showcases the growing role of industrial rooftops in renewable energy.
France’s Largest Rooftop Solar Project
Axpo subsidiary, Urbasolar has begun operations at France’s largest rooftop solar project, in Beauvais — about 80 kilometers north of Paris. This ambitious project showcases the growing momentum of solar energy in France and highlights the increasing importance of rooftop solar projects in the country’s renewable energy landscape.
France’s largest rooftop solar project in Beauvais, spanning 62,000 square meters, generates 13 GWh annually—powering 3,000 households. (Image: Collected)
The rooftop solar project spans 62,000 square meters on the roof of an industrial building owned by PRD (Percier Réalisation et Développement) — a French real estate development company. The project — with a total installed capacity of 12.8 megawatts (MW) — will generate around 13 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity annually.
That amount of power can provide electricity for approximately 3,000 French households each year. This milestone project sets a new benchmark for rooftop solar in France, emphasizing the potential of industrial rooftops in contributing to renewable energy goals.
A Key Collaboration for Rooftop Solar Success
The success of this rooftop solar project is due to a strong partnership between PRD, Urbasolar, and Harbert Management Corporation (HMC). HMC is an investment management company that has worked with Urbasolar on various renewable energy projects.
Urbasolar — with its extensive expertise in solar technologies — is one of the leading providers of solar solutions in France. The company has completed more than 700 large-scale solar installations, ranging from ground-mounted systems to floating solar installations.
However, rooftop solar remains one of the key areas of focus for the company, and this latest project in Beauvais is a testament to Urbasolar’s capabilities in this space. This collaboration has been instrumental in bringing the project to completion and demonstrates how partnerships between private entities can drive innovation in the renewable energy sector.
Expanding the Rooftop Solar Portfolio
Rooftop solar projects have gained significant traction in recent years due to their ability to make use of existing urban and industrial spaces for clean energy generation. Axpo — through Urbasolar — has already installed more than 190 MW of rooftop solar capacity in France alone.
Axpo — which is headquartered in Switzerland — continues to see rooftop solar as a critical component of its broader strategy to expand solar energy capacity across Europe. The company has announced plans to further develop its solar projects in countries such as Germany, Italy, Spain, and Poland.
According to Antoine Millioud, Head of Axpo’s Solar Division, “Our extensive experience in various solar technologies enables us to expand our activities in other markets, including Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, and Switzerland.”
France’s Solar Energy Expansion
France has seen impressive growth in its solar energy sector over the past few years. By the end of 2023, the country had an installed solar capacity of 20 GW. This expansion aligns with the government’s National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), which sets ambitious targets to increase solar capacity to 60 GW by 2030.
In recent years, the French government has implemented supportive measures to promote the development of rooftop solar installations. These measures include exemptions from preliminary environmental assessments for photovoltaic (PV) projects under 300 kW, which has helped streamline the approval process for small-scale solar projects.
Rooftop solar projects make use of existing spaces such as industrial rooftops, which helps reduce the need for large tracts of land for solar installations. This is particularly important in urban areas where space is limited. They also help decentralise electricity generation. By producing power closer to where it is consumed, rooftop solar reduces transmission losses and improves grid stability.
The launch of France’s largest rooftop solar project in Beauvais marks a significant achievement for Urbasolar, Axpo, and their partners. As solar energy continues to grow, projects like this one will be essential in helping France and Europe transition to a greener, more sustainable energy future.