Ever since its creation, the photovoltaic activity of RWE Renouvelables France has been geared towards ground-mounted plants. Thanks to their optimised power/cost ratio, they enable us to be a significant player contributing to the achievement of French objectives regarding photovoltaic energy (PPE). As part of calls for tender from the French Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) or through directly awarded contracts, our team develops projects on sites from five to several hundred hectares thus enhanced by photovoltaics: tax and rent income, citizen crowdfunding investment. We are working on the execution of projects for plants that are high-performance, well thought-out and well integrated in the area.
Ground-mounted plants
Our expertise in ground-mounted plants leads us to develop different types of projects based on the implementation site:
- On the ground on land with small environmental issues, such as abandoned roads, former quarries or gravel pits, industrial or natural wastelands, former waste storage centres, former military sites, airfields, etc.
- As floating PV on lakes, ponds, water-filled former gravel pits that have a low tidal range.
- In synergy with crops or animal farming on agricultural land whose yield is no longer satisfactory (soil impoverishment, problematic global warming, former sites temporarily used for road infrastructures, etc.), with solutions studied on a case-by-case basis (agrivoltaics).
Our experts
Cartographer
The cartographer creates analyses and maps (location of the projects, constraints for solar development, etc.) for the project managers in development. The maps constitute an important visualisation and decision-making tool in the context of the development of projects.
Designer
The designer of the photovoltaic plant carries out systematic monitoring of the modules and inverters available on the market, and designs the solar farm as well as all of its related elements (cables, transformers, delivery substation, and fire cistern) in order to optimise its costs and productivity.
Connection engineer
The connection engineer conducts feasibility studies for the connection of new projects in France (costs, deadlines, internal configuration, etc.). They manage and optimise the electrical and telecommunications connection conditions for the projects with the electric network operators (RTE, ENEDIS, ELD, etc.) and telecommunications operators (e.g. Orange) from the request for connection until commissioning and operation.
Legal
The legal department is in charge of securing the development activity (operations and transactions). It assists the project managers with any and all legal issues that may arise during the lifespan of a project, from the launch of the studies until its dismantling. The department thus monitors the regulatory evolutions relating to photovoltaics and its market, supports project managers in filing building permit applications, and manages the dozens of companies carrying the projects.
Ecologist
The main mission of the ecologist is to provide operational technical support for all environmental topics (fauna, flora, etc.). The coordination with third-party consultancy firms (natural environments, landscape, architects) is also very important in the definition of the technical specifications for the services (methodology, schedule of on-site visits, etc.) based on the challenges and expectations of the administrations.
