Major volatility in the wholesale electricity markets is prompting businesses to accelerate their take-up of solar energy. It is naturally pushing companies to find cost-effective supply solutions while also helping to decarbonise their business activities.

Against this backdrop, Cegelec La Rochelle’s PV solar solutions proved ideally suited to the needs of JOUBERT Plywood, which manufactures 78,000 m³ of plywood per year, with the creation of solar energy generation facilities at its two production sites in the Charente and Charente Maritime departments.

Completed in just eight months, the installation will allow JOUBERT Plywood, a company of international stature based in southwestern France, to self-generate 18% of its electricity consumption.

The installation boasts a total of 3,350 panels across the two sites for a surface area of around 7,060 sq. metres and peak power output of 1,476 kW. Ultimately, the aim of the project is to also incorporate energy storage, allowing a 30% reduction in the firm’s electricity consumption.

As JOUBERT Plywood’s managing director, Laurent Marty, explains, “It was rising energy costs that motivated us to adopt the solution from Cegelec La Rochelle. They offered a technically effective solution and were also able to deliver it within the required time frame so we could start to reap the benefits of this new energy source as soon as possible. This installation enables us to remain competitive in a tough market where it’s essential to keep costs under control. But it’s also an investment in line with our ongoing commitment to the environment, which includes sustainable management of our raw materials and an overarching eco-design approach.”

Cegelec La Rochelle CEO, Stéphane Moreau, adds that “Despite the supply problems with solar panels and inverters at the end of 2022, these installations were operational within the deadline. Since then, we’ve launched the second phase of the project, which will make it possible to reduce energy consumption by 30% but requires two to three times more solar power, along with integrated energy storage”.

The solar installation will ultimately contain 7,300 panels sited on the ground, mounted on frames or installed on an office building.