FRANCE TO GROW SOLAR BIG AND FAST

According to France’s Grenelle environmental objectives, the nation must have 7,000 megawatts of peak solar capacity installed by 2020. France is now at 46.6 megawatts (peak). Watch for lots of new activity.

Vive le soleil! Vive l’energie solaire!

le Grenelle Environnement (English)

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Aerowatt strengthens its presence in solar energy with Heliowatt
May 26, 2008 (ActusNewsWire)

WHO
Aerowatt and new subsidiary Heliowatt (Jérôme Billerey, Chairman)

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WHAT
Aerowatt created Heliowatt to expand its solar energy production and development.

WHEN
- Aerowatt is scheduled to develop 10 megawatts of peak solar capacity with Heliowatt over the next 2 years.
- 2007 Aerowatt revenue “turnover”: 7.1 million euros, 57% greater than 2006.

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WHERE
- Germany has 3,800 megawatts of peak solar capacity. France has 46.6 megawatts, 40% overseas.
- Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and Languedoc-Roussillon: the sunniest regions of continental France
- Heliowatt is based in Tavel in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.

WHY
- Aerowatt operated (at the end of 2007) 21 wind farms generating 57 megawatts of capacity and 11 solar farms generating 1.5 megawatts of peak capacity. Its planned portfolio now calls for 350 megawatts of wind capacity and 30 megawatts of peak solar capacity.
- Aerowatt employees 33 people, including 15 doing project development.
- The July 2006 law boosting the French solar feed-in rate to E0.55/kilowatt-hour has not yet generated new solar capacity.

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QUOTES
Jérôme Billerey, Chairman, Aerowatt: "[W]e are very satisfied with this initial collaboration with the Heliowatt team whose know how is widely recognised. This new involvement will make a significant contribution to the group's solar development in mainland France, alongside our other subsidiary Solar Energies, which is focused on France's overseas departments".