EDF ENR is an integrated player in decentralised solar power production, carrying out design, development, construction, operation, and maintenance of rooftop and car park canopy installations. A wholly-owned subsidiary of the Group, it markets solar power offers for residential customers, professionals, and local authorities in metropolitan France and overseas départements and territories. With over 45,000 facilities completed, EDF ENR now occupies a leading position.
On the residential market, it carries out some 30% of all self-consumption installations in France. On the professional market, the offering features in the EDF Solutions Énergétiques catalogue.
In addition, EDF Renewables Technologies, a wholly-owned subsidiary of EDF Renewables, is present in the upstream segment. It owns 100% of EDF ENR PWT (Photowatt brand) which designs and manufactures photovoltaic modules using crystalline silicon technology with various applications ranging from residential equipment to land-based solar farms. Photowatt is rolling out an industrial model focusing on low-carbon production of high-technology silicon wafers and ingots. Alongside this joint project, Photowatt focuses on its R&D activities, renamed Photowatt Lab, in conjunction with the EDF group’s R&D Department and solar energy research centres such as INES or the Photovoltaic Institute of Ile-de-France region.
EDF Renewables is engaged in a growth strategy in the USA on the decentralised energy market. Since 2016, several acquisitions and partnerships have served to develop this business (acquisition in 2016 of Global Resources Options, Inc. (groSolar) and partnership in 2018 with EnterSolar).
At the same time, in 2019 in North America, EDF Renewables acquired Power Flex Systems with the aim of speeding up large-scale deployment of infrastructure for electric vehicles in the USA. Based in Los Altos, California, PowerFlex is a pioneering firm in the field of charging technology.
In North America, EDF Renewables entered into a strategic partnership with Enter Solar in 2018 and took a 50% equity stake in the company. In 2021, it acquired the remaining 50% interest and consolidated all decentralised “behind the meter” activities under the PowerFlex brand. Bundling energy solutions for business and industry enables PowerFlex to offer customers a stand-alone or bundled package of on-site solar, battery storage, electric vehicle charging, microgrid and energy management systems.
In 2018, EDF Renewables together with Asia Clean Capital (ACC) launched a joint venture aimed at building and operating a portfolio of decentralised solar energy projects on rooftops.
In 2019, EDF Renewables acquired a majority stake in an asset portfolio comprising 77 MWp of rooftop solar power installations with ACC.
In 2021, EDF Renewables successfully responded to the call for tenders of the municipality of Netanya to develop rooftop solar with potential capacity of about 40MWp.
EDF Renewables acquired a stake in SkyX Energy, a rooftop solar developer in Vietnam.
EDF Renewables contributes to the Storage Plan launched by the Group in 2018. In a context marked by the strong growth of renewable energy generation and by the closure of large-scale electrical facilities, battery storage technology, combined with a smart control system, helps smooth out the generation of electricity of the National Grid. In this context, through its subsidiaries, EDF Renewables develop innovative storage systems in the US, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and South Africa.
EDF Renewables has also launched a new microgrid activity comprising solar projects equipped with a battery storage system that is connected to a local grid in remote areas (deserts, islands).
In September 2021, EDF Renewables and its partner Perpetua Holding were awarded an innovative project in South Africa. It combines solar, wind and battery storage technologies. Umoyilanga consists of a 77 MW wind farm and a 138 MW solar plant, each equipped with a battery system.
EDF Renewables commissioned a 35 MW storage system for the Desert Harvest 2 solar project in California. Currently, 180 MW of storage capacity attached to solar projects are under construction. The projects should be commissioned in 2022.
In September 2021, EDF Renewables signed a 15-year PPA to build and operate Desert Quartzite, a large-scale 377MWp solar capacity project coupled with a storage system (600 MWh) in California.
In June 2021, EDF Renewables, via its start-up Pivot Power, commissioned its first two grid-connected batteries, located in Cowley (Oxford) (in connection with the Energy Superhub Oxford project led by Pivot Power) and Kemsley, in June and October 2021 respectively.
In late 2021, Pivot Power also began construction of a battery storage facility that will be connected to the national transmission grid northwest of Birmingham. The 50MW/100 MWh lithium-ion battery will store sufficient electricity to power over 100,000 homes for two hours. Commissioning is scheduled for spring 2022 and will initially include 38 fast and ultra-fast chargers.
In late 2021, EDF Renewables was awarded a tender for a renewable energy project in Iquitos. The company will develop, build and operate approximately 100 MW of photovoltaic capacity and over 100 MWh of battery storage capacity. The company signed a 20-year electricity sales contract with Electro Oriente, a Peruvian public electricity distribution company.
