Folelli Solar Power Station
Generating renewable electricity to benefit the local area
Commissioned in 2017, the Folelli solar power station is one of Corsica Sole’s flagship photovoltaic power stations in Corsica.
Spanning 32 hectares, it has an installed capacity of 12 MWp and comprises nearly 45,000 photovoltaic panels. Each year, it generates approximately 18 GWh of renewable electricity, equivalent to the electricity consumption of more than 10,000 people, including heating. The electricity generated is fed into the public grid, thereby helping to meet the region’s energy needs.
Developed, built and now operated by Corsica Sole, the plant was designed to ensure that renewable energy production is sustainably integrated into its environment. In particular, it is home to a sheep farm with nearly 450 ewes grazing beneath and around the photovoltaic panels.
From the sun to the electricity grid
In Folelli, the photovoltaic panels capture sunlight and convert it into electricity. This is then converted by inverters and adjusted to the correct voltage before being fed into the public grid.
With 18 GWh generated each year, the power station has been contributing to local renewable electricity production in Corsica since 2017. Designed for long-term operation, it is also subject to regular monitoring and maintenance carried out by Corsica Sole’s teams to ensure it continues to function properly over time.
Did you know?
Do solar panels generate electricity when it’s cold?
Actually, contrary to popular belief, it is not heat that generates electricity, but light. Solar panels can therefore operate in winter or when the sky is overcast. Their output varies mainly depending on the amount of sunlight.
A power station tailored to the local area’s needs
Even before the solar panels were installed, the site was used for livestock farming. From the very outset of the power station’s design, Corsica Sole chose to preserve this use and to enable the coexistence of renewable electricity generation and pastoral activities.
Today, a flock of nearly 450 ewes grazes beneath and around the panels. This eco-grazing naturally helps to maintain the vegetation, reduces the need for mechanical machinery and helps to preserve the soil.
The presence of the solar panels also benefits the flock: they provide the animals with shade during periods of intense heat, as well as protection from inclement weather. After several years of operation, Folelli thus provides concrete evidence of the long-term coexistence of solar power generation and livestock farming.
Allowing the ewes to graze beneath the solar panels provides real comfort for our animals. They are protected from the heat and, when it rains, the panels shelter them. It is an ideal environment for their wellbeing and encourages greener, more abundant grass.
A power station at the heart of Corsican energy innovation
Since 2026, the site has also been home to Folell’Hy, a pilot facility designed to trial a new way of utilising solar electricity.
When not all the electricity generated by the solar power station can be fed into the grid, some of it can be channelled to Folell’Hy. It then powers an electrolyser which uses this electricity to produce green hydrogen.
This trial forms part of the Alchymiste project, winner of the Bpifrance i-Nov competition in 2022 and supported by France 2030. It enables Corsica Sole to explore new ways of utilising renewable electricity.
Discover Folell’Hy, our pilot green hydrogen production facility
