Developed by Photowatt R&D, EDF Hydro, EDF R&D and the company Mécamont, this innovation project aims to provide new solutions for photovoltaic development in a context of growing scarcity of land dedicated to large-scale projects.
The purpose of the program is to develop new photovoltaic solutions in response to the current problem of access to land in France. The program involves the deployment of photovoltaic modules suspended over hydroelectric canals, whose potential is estimated by EDF at 2GWp in France.
Land use conflicts are an increasingly important constraint on the large-scale development of photovoltaic solar energy. As a result, innovations such as the so-called “Agrivoltaic” installations are appearing, whose common feature is the dual use of land.
The FilSun project is fully in line with this logic of installing photovoltaic systems on an already artificial surface, thus increasing the value of the land.
1st Suspended Panels Demonstrator
The project consists of developing and installing a 1MWp demonstrator with low-carbon bifacial photovoltaic modules supplied by Photowatt and supported by cables over a canal connected to an EDF hydroelectric power station located in Haute Garonne.
EDF HSO is the project leader and will be the final operator of the photovoltaic plant. Mecamont is responsible for the structural design and installation of this industrial pilot plant.
