La Colle des Mées, France - 2011
Status: Existing
Stakeholders: Enfinity
The Les Mées solar farm, located in the rolling hills of La Colle des Mées plateau (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence), covering an area of 200 hectares with a total of 112,000 solar module. This solar project, which was conducted by Siemens Energy on a turnkey basis, generates 100MW of clean energy, enough to power 12,000 typical French households.
This geographical site situated about 800 meters above sea level, is favored with the best conditions for the production of photovoltaic solar energy in France. It enjoys plenty of sunshine receiving horizontal solar irradiation of 1550 kWh, and a high level of air purity that results in energy yield that is 10 to 15% above the average.
Enfinity's €70m investment has included work to preserve the landscape with space for grazing and a system without a concrete foundation. The solar farm was designed to have very low environmental impact. The panels were installed without laying concrete foundations that would destroy the grass.
