€1,300,000 open to citizen crowdfunding for the largest solar farm in Franche-Comté
Starting November 24, 2020, online investment on enerfip.fr will be open and reserved for residents of Jura, Ain, Côte d’Or, Doubs, Haute-Saône, and Saône-et-Loire. They will be able to invest their savings, starting at €10, in the Picarreau solar farm project.
Green energy for 10,000 households
Developed, built, and operated by CS Solaire, a subsidiary of the Corsica Sole group, the Picarreau solar farm project will be the largest ever built in Franche-Comté. After three years of development, it entered the operational phase in early 2020 with commissioning scheduled for 2021.
The project has been led for several years by Dominique Pellin, mayor of Picarreau. The town hall was supported in structuring this project by AJENA, a Jura-based association whose missions include helping to develop energy transition projects. The project was developed by CS Solaire in close collaboration with local stakeholders. The land will be partly maintained by the municipality, and the solar farm will be a driver of economic development in the region.
The Picarreau photovoltaic power plant will produce around 29,500 MWh* per year and avoid the emission of around 1,200 tons of CO2 per year. This is equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 10,000 households**, which is the equivalent of the number of households in Lons-le-Saunier. This project also has an important environmental component: restoration of pastoralism, a program to preserve the biodiversity of fauna and flora, and the creation of an educational trail.
An investment involving local residents in the energy transition of their region
The Picarreau solar farm project is the winner of the national call for tenders launched by the French Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE), which aims to support the development of renewable energies in France by encouraging the most competitive and responsible projects in terms of carbon footprint. By submitting its application, CS Solaire has committed to implementing citizen financing that involves local residents in the energy transition of their region. The crowdfunding will be structured in partnership with Enerfip, one of the leaders in crowdfunding for renewable energy projects, and AJENA. The Picarreau town hall will also take part in financing the project.
The amount to be raised for this large-scale infrastructure is €1,300,000. Local residents will be able to invest part of their savings, starting at €10, in this project, which contributes to the energy transition while offering attractive returns.
Fundraising will begin on November 24, 2020 on the enerfip.fr platform. Investment is reserved for residents of the Jura department and neighboring departments: Ain, Côte d’Or, Doubs, Haute-Saône, and Saône-et-Loire.
About Enerfip
Enerfip was founded in 2014 by renewable energy professionals with extensive experience in financing. Approved by the French Financial Markets Authority (AMF), it selects reliable projects developed by recognized companies. Citizens then invest part of their savings, free of charge, in the projects of their choice for 3 to 6 years with an interest rate of up to 6%.
Key figures: €50 million raised. 155 projects financed. 20,000 members. 20 employees. Founded in 2014 in Montpellier.
More information: https:/www.enerfip.fr/
About Ajena
Involved for many years in what is now known as the energy transition, the Ajena association was created in 1980 with the aim of promoting energy savings and renewable energies. It currently has a team of 15 administrators, 11 employees, and 170 members.
Faced with environmental, economic, and social challenges, the association works primarily to: inform, raise awareness, and mobilize citizens; provide coherent technical solutions in the field of construction and energy; combat energy poverty; and share its knowledge
More broadly, Ajena helps bring all energy-related projects to fruition in the fields of construction, transportation, and consumption. https://www.ajena.org