Nantes Plans Eight Solar Self-Consumption Loops in Three Years

With a photovoltaic production capacity of nearly 1 GWh, the city of Nantes commissioned, on March 1, the first of eight collective self-consumption energy loops that it intends to create on its territory. here three years. This brings together three solar power plants with a power of 246 kWp.

Committed to a carbon neutrality approach, Nantes Métropole and the city of Nantes are deploying a growing number of photovoltaic electricity production plants on their built heritage. By the end of 2026, 32 new sites will be added to the 25 existing installations and eight local self-consumption loops are planned in the same interval.

The first of these, carried out in the form of a collective heritage self-consumption operation, was put into service on March 1 in the Haluchère district, located to the east of Nantes. It brings together, over an area of ​​1,134 square meters, three solar production plants with a power of 246 kWp, installed in three public buildings: the DAEELE (Directorate for workshops, energy operations, event deliveries), the Urbain Leverrier gymnasium and the school group. Claire Brétecher.

The 648 photovoltaic panels installed provide a total of 270,000 kWh per year. Owner of the three solar power plants, the city of Nantes is the sole producer and consumer in this operation, which facilitates its task as an organizing legal entity, responsible for their operation and maintenance. Entirely self-consumed, the electricity generated covers the equivalent of 10% of the needs of the connected sites, which include the Jules Verne swimming pool and the Nantes central kitchen as simple consumers.

Sloped roof 

Installed by Smac (Société des mines d'asphalte du Centre), the DAEELE solar power plant required the prior renovation and insulation of its inclined roof. It is equipped with Trina Solar monocrystalline photovoltaic panels, mounted on a metal structure made of steel trays, built on pedestals. On the inverter side, the choice fell on the Sunny Tripower from the Chinese manufacturer SMA, which also equips the two other installations.

Built on the roof of the Urbain Leverrier gymnasium by the company JCM Solar, the second plant is made up of JA Solar modules, the company Eiffage Energie – in charge of the third on a new building at the Claire Brétécher school – having opted for Recom panels, manufactured in Lannion. Mounted on a concrete structure, they are connected to a central Solar Edge inverter, chained by three microinverters. “As Eiffage now plans for all its installations, optimizers make it possible, in the event of shading or technical failure, to isolate each panel and not lose an entire series of modules,” explains Jérémie Bondu, head of the Energy department. from Nantes Métropole.

As Jérémie Bondu hopes, a second solar energy loop, carried out on the same economic model, should be born in 2024 in the Bellevue district. It will help the city of Nantes and the Metropolis to meet their objective of multiplying their photovoltaic energy production by five.