2024-09-22 15:12:53
Gym, pool, town hall, and why not, local market garden areas. In the surrounding areas of the Vallée du Garon, west of Lyon (Rhône), the roofs were examined one by one. Cause? Identify who can get solar panels.
Behind this project is not the ambition of a large private operator, but the dream of around ten residents. “We have a capacity of 2,000 square meters! »exclaims Maxime Thinon, founder and co-president of the “Graine d’Énergie” collective. For three years, Citizens of different ages and origins gather there in the hope of one day producing their own renewable energy, based on the model of “village power stations”.
Conceived in 2014 in the Rhône-Alpes region, the concept is being gradually adopted throughout France. In ten years, the group has born a national network of 72 village power plants and 500 photovoltaic installations, for the production of 11 megawatts in optimal energy, equivalent to the electrical needs of 3,500 homes.
The answer to the excesses of photovoltaics
At the beginning of the 2000s, photovoltaics are on the rise, but their deployment has become out of control. “ The installations are inconsistent, not integrated into the landscape, and residents are not advised with little effect for the areas. summarizes Juliette Rasse, development manager at the Centrales Villages group.
To do otherwise, the Environment Agency Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes has the idea of involving the local population, from individuals to the community, including businesses. How? By creating a new legal structure – one “Local society with urban governance” – allowing anyone to become a stakeholder in the project, while pooling resources and integrating community issues.
To avoid excesses, the license of these “village companies” sets a premium “Perennial but moderate”. Dividends paid must be balanced and labeled, so that many changes are reviewed in new applications.
An easily reproducible model
After the running time, the team managed to expand thanks to its turnkey model: each new team member has access to a document explaining the steps to follow, training on legal and financial aspects, guidance of professionals (accounting, project management, etc.) or even a ready-to-use website.
“We want to make the process as easy as possible for those who start and give confidence to those who invest, by supporting them with a network that has already proven itself,” explains Juliette Rasse who points out, for example, the Grésivaudan power plant which brings together 572 shareholders and has produced 5.6 MWh since 2017.
Bad at first, the law even ended up developing in their favor. From 2020, a word has eased the entry into the capital of the regions. Enough to increase the pace: by the end of next year, around twenty projects should be completed.
If the technology of the subject can still be intimidating, the new collection launched in the Vallée du Garon has attracted eleven citizens who invest between €100 and €15,000. “It is a way to do our part from home, but also a safe investment, finally, because the purchase agreement with EDF is fixed for 20 years », testified Agnès, 69 years old.
A dynamic also for the area
The method also allows communities to achieve their goals, such as Brignais (one of the communities in the Vallée du Garon) which, if technical constraints allow, will rent the roofs of many of its buildings. “I even imagine that he lives our lives in our territory! »observes the deputy in charge of climate change, Jean-Philippe Gillet. This year, for the first time, 52 requests for photovoltaic installations from individuals were recorded.
In June 2024, the village’s power plants were rewarded with the European Prize for Community Action for Energy given by the European Commission. The model has also inspired many other civil partnerships. Today there are almost 400 in France.
Representing 3 thousands of French energy, their contribution is still in the margin, especially in a country which is significantly behind in its renewable deployment areas. “But what we expect from this method, concludes Antoine Fontaine, geologist at CNRS, it is above all to show that another way is possible. That energy conversion is not only an economic investment but also a community project. »
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