“Electricity is a more than necessary raw material. We realize that today.”, says Yves-Marie Beaudet, breeder of laying hens in Landéhen (Côtes-d’Armor) and president of the National Committee for the Promotion of Eggs (CNPO). He did not wait for the energy crisis which is shaking agriculture like other parts of the economy to worry about it. Six years ago, he decided to reduce his dependence by focusing on photovoltaics.
Specifically, he installed five “solar trackers” otherwise known as “solar trackers” on his farm. In this case, 120 square meter panels installed on 5 meter high masts whose orientation changes according to the path of the sun.
“I am self-sufficient in electricity up to 35%”, estimates Mr. Beaudet, who puts his total annual consumption at 500,000 kilowatt hours to light and ventilate his henhouses and feed his poultry. He says he is ready to install five more, to further reduce the volume purchased, or even sell part of the electricity produced. But the project represents a substantial investment. “Each solar tracker costs 60,000 euros”says Mr. Beaudet.
Resale
Philippe Bréhon, farmer in La Couture, in the Pas-de-Calais, and co-shareholder of the company Saveurs d’endives, has decided to take the plunge. “At the beginning of the year, even before the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, we saw a surge in the price of energy. I signed for the installation of photovoltaic panels on the roofs of the building. An investment of 350,000 euros”, explains the endive producer. The panels should be in place by mid-November. Mr. Bréhon hopes to cover 15% of his energy needs. He expects a resale of nearly a third of the electricity produced, especially in summer, when his activity is on hold. In fact, the endive production cycle usually extends from September to June.
However, to further reduce his energy bill, which risks exploding from January 2023, he has acquired a generator. “This represents an investment of 80,000 euros. I’m going to run it four hours a day, 9am to 11am and 6pm to 8pm, which is during peak hours. The cost of the kilowatt-hour produced by the generator should be half that purchased under contract”, anticipates Mr. Bréhon who regrets having to resort to fossil fuels. A small shadow on the solar panel…