Ground-mounted photovoltaics

Our ground-mounted photovoltaic installations are developed on degraded, artificial, or non-agricultural land, with the aim of rehabilitating and enhancing these areas.

Installed on often unused sites—such as polluted zones, waste storage centers, quarries, industrial wastelands, or stone fields—our installations contribute to the rehabilitation of these spaces while producing green and sustainable energy.

Discreetly integrated into landscapes, these installations are driving the growth of photovoltaics in France, thanks to their significant production capacity and high installed capacity.

Rehabilitation of degraded land

Degraded land offers an ideal opportunity for the installation of photovoltaic panels. These spaces, often unusable for other activities, become real levers for producing renewable energy while rehabilitating the land.

With an optimized layout, including 6 to 7-meter-wide tables spaced one meter apart, and a minimum height of 60 cm from the ground, our installations maximize their density to finance the additional costs related to these lands (earthworks, depollution, distance from networks). These projects transform low-value spaces into productive areas, while contributing to the growth of photovoltaics in France.

Installation on natural land

Natural land, which makes up nearly 39% of the French territory, represents another strategic area for the development of photovoltaic power plants. These spaces house almost all of France’s biodiversity and, as such, require a rigorous approach, with environmental impact studies conducted over at least one year by independent ecologists.

Each project strictly follows the Avoid – Reduce – Compensate sequence, meaning installations are only placed on areas of land with the lowest ecological impact. This includes scheduling work to avoid the breeding and nesting periods and, if necessary, compensating for the impacts of the photovoltaic project through ecological initiatives (such as the restoration of ponds).

The installations are easily dismantled at the end of their lifecycle and are designed to avoid land artificialization. The panels are mounted on tables 4 to 5 meters wide, spaced approximately 3 meters apart, with a minimum height of 1.1 meters. The ground is not covered with concrete, allowing the soil to continue to breathe.

« Producing the equivalent of all French electricity (540 TWh) with ground-mounted solar power plants would occupy only 0.7% of the land! This highlights how achievable the energy transition is, as solar energy will actually account for no more than 150 to 300 TWh. Projects on natural land produce very low-cost electricity and are highly regulated. The permits granted will, in fact, be for projects that have minimal impact on landscapes and biodiversity. They therefore play as crucial a role as projects on polluted sites.»

Gabriel Brezet, Co-Director of Business Development

« In the municipality of Gièvres, we collaborated with Photosol to transform an old quarry into a photovoltaic installation. This project, of which we are extremely proud, demonstrates the ability of our regions to meet today’s and tomorrow’s energy challenges. Installing photovoltaic panels on degraded or non-agricultural land offers a tremendous opportunity for municipalities: to revitalize unused spaces while actively contributing to the energy transition and a sustainable future. »

Françoise Gilot-Leclerc, Mayor of Gièvres