Good practice:

Photovoltaic and thermal power plant of the Préau des Colibris in Voiron

A group of people in Voiron gathered to bring their participative housing project come to life. Their ambition was to build their condominium using eco-friendly materials, the Préau des Colibris. In an effort to go one step further, they decided to supply part of their energy consumption through a mix of photovoltaic and thermal solar panels.
This ambition represented an added financial cost that the co-owners could not meet. Therefore, they sought alternative financing solutions. Conveniently, a year earlier, a group of citizens founded Buxia Energies with the aim to setup energy transition projects that provide for the territory and its inhabitants. Hence, they decided to intervene as a third party investor to undertake the solar installations. Thanks to which a 9kWp photovoltaic and 6kW solar thermal energy rooftop was installed on the condominium.
The PV panels are entirely operated by Buxia Energies, they took a lease on the rooftop, installed the panels and now sell the electricity produced at a fixed rate over 20 years. The revenue from the sale of energy is used to cover the costs, pay the shareholders and to develop new installations. Buxia Energies also invested in the solar thermal panels and the boiler. The non-trading estate company pays Buxia Energies a rent for 10 years based on the expected gas savings. The installation operates with 50% renewable energy and is the first citizen solar thermal project in France.

Buxia Energies invested 15 440 € and received a grant of €9,640 from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region as part of the call for partnership projects.
Buxia Energies is run by volunteers.
Legal advice was sought to validate the contractual model.

This operation benefits multiple stakeholders on the achievement of broader objectives:
- A simpler solar thermal technology, more reliable and more comfortable.
- Energy costs for in line with forecasts.
- For Buxia Energies: new business opportunities in the thermal sector
- Pioneering advancements to streamline future similar projects.
- Demonstrated the importance of third-party citizen investment.
- The contribution to the objectives of the TEPOS-CV territory.

A perfectible legal framework, mainly on the distribution of roles and responsibilities between stakeholders.
An economic model highly constrained by the low cost of the operation; impossible without subsidies.
Complex and unreliable heat metering.

This project can be reproduced for co-ownerships that request it and that are at the limit of their debt capacity.
However, this method of financing needs to be brought to the attention of co-ownerships where the decision-making procedures are complex.
Other targets could be considered (small tertiary buildings with a need for heat, existing social landlords' stock, etc.) once the contractual model has been consolidated.
The generalization of instrumentation systems for solar thermal systems such as TelesuiWeb which monitoring the operation of the installation or the quantity of energy produced could reassure the beneficiaries and the citizen investors.
The legal study on the contract models between the citizens and the consumers will allow making the contractual perimeter more reliable.
Multiple collective housing operations could find an interest in this third-party investment solution.