Energy Produced
2,000+ homes/year
Scale
750,000 sf
10,700,000 kWh/year
Year
2011
Saint Charles International, located in Perpignan, France, is Europe’s largest produce transport hub, distributing fruits and vegetables grown around the world to markets across the continent. In 2009, the shareholders joined together to replace the original asbestos-filled roof with a SunStyle solar roof, transforming the hangars into the world’s largest building-integrated solar power plant. Annually, Saint Charles’ SunStyle solar roof prevents the emission of 624 tonnes of CO2, offsetting emissions produced by the hub’s fleet of refrigerated trucks. The Saint-Charles installation has outperformed expectations by exceeding initial bench-marks year after year.
A warehouse roof converted into a powerful building-integrated solar power (bipv) plant.
Saint-Charles’ SunStyle solar roof prevents the emission of 624 tons of CO2 annually. This offsets the emissions caused by the fleet of refrigerated trucks that pass through the logistics center every day. Year after year, Saint-Charles International’s integrated solar power plant has exceeded all expectations by surpassing the initial indicators.
An integrated solar power plant that benefits the entire city.
Thanks to the ecological orientation of the logistics center, the entire city of Perpignan benefits from the surplus energy generated by the huge integrated solar power plant. Comparatively, this is equivalent to more than 2,000 homes and covers the energy needs of more than 10,000 residents of the Catalan city.
Saint-Charles International’s logistics platform has thus become a global example of building-integrated solar, and everyone is delighted with the renewable energy generation it produces. By opting for solar roofs that are not only powerful but also much more aesthetically pleasing, the logistics site is actively contributing to the goal of the city of Perpignan, which has set itself the goal of becoming a city with a positive energy balance. And in a broader sense, this site is fully in line with the objectives of sustainable development in Europe.
