Over the past 10 years, Urbasolar has claimed its place as the reference player in the skyrocketing market for photovoltaics. A unique and independent “pure player”, the company is also one of the most innovative in the sector. Thanks to its expertise in energy storage and integrating photovoltaics into electrical networks, Urbasolar was awarded one third of the winning projects in France’s call-for-projects for photovoltaics solutions in non-interconnected zones (namely, the country’s overseas departments).
Founded in 2006 by Stéphanie Andrieu and Arnaud Mine, Urbasolar is celebrating its tenth-year anniversary in October, inaugurating its new headquarters in Montpellier’s Millénaire business park. Initially launched at the Cap Omega incubator, the company has already moved three times to keep up with its growing activity. With more than 100 employees in Montpellier, Urbasolar generated sales revenue of €66 million in 2015-2016 (+25%), and plans to surpass the €100 million milestone in 2018.
The only independent French company in the photovoltaic space, Urbasolar stands out for its innovation capacity. Stéphanie Andrieu, general manager, points out: “The future of our profession involves properly storing electricity, handling hybrid systems (that is, integrating with other production systems), and interfacing with electricity networks. This requires a huge amount of engineering. We have a very “French Tech” approach.” Urbasolar’s expertise enabled the company to capture 11 out of 33 projects in a recent call-for-projects by France’s Ministry of Ecology for photovoltaic sites with storage capabilities. Urbasolar is also the company that was awarded the largest number of projects in three calls-for-projects by the Energy Regulation Commission (CRE). The company now benefits from a project portfolio of 80 MW (from the previous CRE 3 call-for-projects), plus an additional 500 MW in development projects for France and internationally. Urbasolar today manages an installed base of 200 MW, representing 450 production plants.
Present in five countries, Urbasolar also has agencies in Toulouse and Aix-en-Provence, France. But its headquarters are based solidly in Montpellier. Stéphanie Andrieu adds: “Montpellier is a strategic location for us, as our business is highly concentrated in the Mediterranean region. It is also an active city that benefits from a very positive image. We find everything we need here.”
Find out more:
- Urbasolar- Join energy-environment networks
The only independent French company in the photovoltaic space, Urbasolar stands out for its innovation capacity. Stéphanie Andrieu, general manager, points out: “The future of our profession involves properly storing electricity, handling hybrid systems (that is, integrating with other production systems), and interfacing with electricity networks. This requires a huge amount of engineering. We have a very “French Tech” approach.” Urbasolar’s expertise enabled the company to capture 11 out of 33 projects in a recent call-for-projects by France’s Ministry of Ecology for photovoltaic sites with storage capabilities. Urbasolar is also the company that was awarded the largest number of projects in three calls-for-projects by the Energy Regulation Commission (CRE). The company now benefits from a project portfolio of 80 MW (from the previous CRE 3 call-for-projects), plus an additional 500 MW in development projects for France and internationally. Urbasolar today manages an installed base of 200 MW, representing 450 production plants.
Present in five countries, Urbasolar also has agencies in Toulouse and Aix-en-Provence, France. But its headquarters are based solidly in Montpellier. Stéphanie Andrieu adds: “Montpellier is a strategic location for us, as our business is highly concentrated in the Mediterranean region. It is also an active city that benefits from a very positive image. We find everything we need here.”
Find out more:
- Urbasolar- Join energy-environment networks
