In Chilly-Mazarin, in Essonne, the Lidl brand has covered the entire roof of the store with solar panels. These photovoltaic installations cover 40% of electricity needs. The objective: to reduce dependence on the electricity grid. But these panels only work during the day, thanks to the sun.
The energy transition is underway. Europeans agreed Thursday, March 30 on a target of 42.5% renewable energy in their consumption by the end of the decade. Renewable energies are wind power, hydropower, but also photovoltaics. Everywhere, solar panels invest our daily lives. Even at the supermarket.
In Chilly-Mazarin, in Essonne, the Lidl brand has covered the entire roof of the store with solar panels. The objective is to reduce dependence on the electricity grid. Located at the end of a shopping area, the store stands out with its green facade and its large bay windows. At the rear, a hidden staircase provides access to the roof.
1,300 m2 of photovoltaic panels
“We arrive on the main roof. We have 1300 m2 here of photovoltaic panels”. This device cost more than 100,000 euros, but with soaring energy bills, the brand has absolutely no regrets, assures Romain Recq, Hygiene Safety Environment manager.
“In 2017, it took between 10 to 15 years for this investment to become profitable. Today, with the very sharp increase in electricity costs, they (the panels, editor’s note) are much more attractive financially.”
40% of electricity needs
Lighting, air conditioning or cold cabinets… These panels cover 40% of the store’s electricity needs. An important source of energy, but it is difficult to go beyond: “We could not put more photovoltaic panels on the roof.”
And there is another problem: these panels only work during the day, thanks to the sun. “In an ideal world, we could store the overproduced energy that is not used in the consumption of the store during the day. To be able to use it at night and therefore avoid drawing on the network.” Since 2019, solar panels or plants must cover at least 30% of the roof of a new department store.
Source: Europe1
I am a journalist who writes about economics and business. I have worked in the news industry for over 5 years, most recently as an author at Global Happenings. My work has focused on covering the economy news, and I have written extensively on topics such as unemployment rates, housing prices, and the financial crisis. I am also an avid reader and have been known to write about books that interest me.
