Our first project on a degraded site was the Bousquet d'Orb solar power plant, which was connected to the grid in 2018. Built on a former coal mine operated until 1993 by Charbonnage de France, the 12 MWp power plant covers nearly 50 acres in Le Bousquet d'Orb, in the Occitania region of France. The site was not suitable for other activities because the soil is highly polluted. Its conversion to a solar power plant therefore gives this historical site a second lease on life.

Akuo acquired this technology in 2019 and commissioned O'MEGA1, France's first floating solar power plant, in Piolenc (southeast France). The power plant is installed on a submerged site, rendered artificial by years of quarrying. With an initial capacity of 17 MWp, the plant was enlarged in 2022 to reach 22 MWp.

Akuo has been developing solar power production by installing dedicated power plants in all regions around the world. Beyond generating power, Akuo optimizes its solutions by providing tailormade responses to the social, environmental, and climatic needs and challenges of each region.

Solar tiles are ideal for both renovation projects and new constructions, offering several proven advantages:

• Style: thanks to a wide range of colors, solar tiles replace traditional roofing tiles. The production of energy no longer depends on a third-party solar PV installation, but becomes part of the building.
• Waterproofing: solar tiles fully withstand bad weather and changing climate conditions.

SOREN is the organization responsible for collecting and recycling solutions based in Europe with a minimum recovery rate of 95%:

• Glass, the aluminum framework, metal and junction boxes are recycled (86% of the panel’s weight)
• 9% of its weight is reused as derived fuel

3,700 metric tons of solar panels were recycled by Soren in 2022 across France.

As a proactive initiative and ahead of legislative requirements, Akuo measured its Scope 3 Carbon Footprint in 2018. This ambitious step reflects the company’s commitment to understanding and taking concrete measures to reduce its carbon emissions. Our results are very satisfactory as our actual emissions do not exceed one third of the emissions avoided. However, we strive for continuous improvement by regularly updating our Carbon Footprint and by working with our partners and employees to foster dialogue and sharing of best practices, with the aim of making responsibility the norm. At Akuo, we focus on improving our impact rather than trying to offset carbon emissions from our operations, and on consistently enhancing our know-how.

All of Akuo’s teams take responsibility for CSR. A CSR Committee was therefore created to give employees with different profiles an opportunity to share their common concern. All the key businesses are represented and 80% of the CSR Committee members are non-executives. The committee is organized in voluntary task forces working on 23 strategic environmental, social and governance themes, which make sense to the Akuo Group.

Akuo has also implemented a skills-based sponsorship program: in practical terms and on a rotating basis, employees can devote up to seven days of work per year to projects supported by the Foundation. This strong initiative allows the talent and expertise found at Akuo to reach out to as many people as possible.

A genuine growth driver for the Group, innovation is deeply rooted in Akuo’s DNA. Eager to develop exemplary regional projects with real meaning, the Akuo group creates concepts that combine technological relevance, environmental added value and societal benefits.

To encourage the general public to become increasingly involved in the energy transition, Akuo focused on another innovation: AkuoCoop, its own crowdfunding platform that, since 2017, allows all citizens and businesses to financially participate in energy transition projects near them and to reap the financial rewards. Akuo has chosen to have its own tool in order to ensure that it is reliable and transparent for those who wish to work with us in this respect.

With continuous improvement as our driving force, we value learning from the multiple experiences of our projects in operation, across every region, every country and every culture.

We have seen that what works in one place does not always work in another, and that adaptation and agility are vital. We can confirm that our models based on past visions of progress are not suited to the urgency we face and that it is time to raise awareness. Visualizing is good. Acting is better!

We focus on the overall result of a project, and make sure that, once in operation, it brings notable and sustainable benefits for society.