Port-Saint-Louis-Du-Rhône

Largest industrial rooftop PV system in France of 6.7MWp inaugurated by Méditourbe and Cap Vert Energie http://www.capvertenergie.fr

The new rooftop PV system featuring Delta RPI M50A (55 kVA) string inverters generates more solar electricity annually than required by almost all 7400 local inhabitants of the nearby city Port-Saint-Louis-Du-Rhône.

On June 28 at the sea terminal of Port-Saint-Louis-Du-Rhône, Méditourbe, a regional peat and compost producer, and Cap Vert Energie, an independent renewable energy producer, inaugurated a 6.7 MWp photovoltaic installation, a project 7 years in development.  Méditourbe which produces compost from peat, occupies a site on 5.3 hectares and employs 15 employees. The peat terminal is located in the path of the famous and fierce Mediterranean wind known as Mistral. Due to this active wind area and the lightweight peat soil sitting in open, unprotected spaces, loss of raw materials by Méditourbe in the past was a daily struggle. 

The solution to end this situation was the construction of 28 galvanized steel buildings at the site. The compost producer teamed up with Cap Vert Energie to incorporate a 6.7 MWp photovoltaic installation on the extensive rooftop surfaces covering an area of 53 000 m2. Not only would the new steel building project allow raw materials at the site to be protected from the Mistral but the large photovoltaic installation would generate electricity that could be sold to the grid in order to repay the initial investment.  

Delta was selected to provide its high efficiency 55 kVA string inverters and electrical expertise around the inverter installation. 112 units of Delta’s M50A inverters were installed in 4 different groups to cover the PV system extending over the rooftops and ensuring minimum cable lengths at maximum overall efficiency. Nearly 25,000 270w solar modules were also part of the overall PV system design.

By choosing distributed inverter architecture, Cap Vert Energie could use already existing electrical enclosures and minimize the need to occupy additional space with the electrical installation. Delta also helped to make ready the system for installation of an efficient monitoring system.

The official commencement ceremony on June 28, 2016 was presided over by the owner and manager of Méditourbe, Mr. Hervé Aubert, and in presence of Mr. Hervé Lucas, Pierre de Froidefond and Christophe Caille Cap Vert Energie founding partners, the Mayor of Port-Saint-Louis-Du-Rhône and other governmental authorities as well as Delta. 

Delta was proud to take part in this landmark project to create clean sustainable energy, enough for the yearly requirement of almost all 7400 local inhabitants of the port city. The project demonstrated that large industrial solar PV rooftop makes excellent renewable energy generators that can provide a revenue source and environmental benefits while also helping meet important business goals, such Méditourbe’s need to shelter raw materials and provide expanded storage space for future business requirements.