Idex commissions solar carport plant in Bourg-en-Bresse

Idex has commissioned a photovoltaic plant installed over the parking areas of the Ainterexpo event site in Bourg-en-Bresse. The project, led by Grand Bourg Agglomération as part of its local renewable energy production strategy, was awarded to Idex following a call for projects. The facility, built as solar carports covering 90% of the parking spaces, occupies an area of 14,500 m².

An annual production capacity exceeding 4,000 MWh

According to projections, the plant will generate 4,029 MWh annually. The electricity produced will be fully injected into the national power grid. This output corresponds to the average yearly consumption of nearly 900 households. The project combines energy production and space optimisation without additional land use.

The plant was fully financed by Idex, which will also operate and maintain it over a 30-year period. In exchange for the use of public land, the company will pay an annual rent to Grand Bourg Agglomération. The land remains the property of the intercommunal authority, which granted Idex a temporary public domain occupancy permit.

A long-term delegated management model

The facility was delivered on schedule, with construction having started in April and commissioning completed in December. Idex, an independent company specialising in local energy services, is already active in Bourg-en-Bresse, where it manages 55 contracts, including that of the Fleyriat hospital. Its local branch in Tossiat employs 16 technicians.

Grand Bourg Agglomération, the site owner, adopted a renewable energy development strategy in December 2022 with a target of reaching 750 GWh in annual production by 2030. This would represent 31% of the region’s final energy consumption, up from 15.5% in 2018. Between 2014 and 2019, local production had already increased by 87%, indicating a strong upward trend in energy output.

A public-private partnership model applied to energy

The Ainterexpo project is one of several ongoing initiatives led by Grand Bourg Agglomération, which also aims to act as an investor or coordinator in other energy ventures. Idex’s solar plant illustrates the implementation of this ambition through a long-term public-private partnership agreement, providing operational continuity and contractual stability.