Solar industry & buildings
With 75% of the French industrial potential and the largest concentration of researchers in
Rhône-Alpes, region of excellence for renewable energy
- receives 47% of French R&D appropriations dedicated to renewable energies and 66% of solar energy appropriations
- 50% of the national production of thermal solar industry (notably thanks to the French leader CLIPSOL) and 35% of the national market
- inevitable scientific, technical, and industrial potential in the photovoltaic solar industry : Photowatt, Total Energie, INVENSIL, Schneider Electric, CEA, CNRS, INPG, University of Savoie, INSA Lyon, Ecole Centrale de Lyon…
- unquestionable leadership for the construction of electric materials and electronic components (75,000 jobs in the region)
- major market for buildings (3 million lodgings) in rapid growth: +38,891 lodgings and 3,407,200 m² activity space in 2003.
Savoie, champion of solar industry
With 36 m² of thermal sensors per 1,000 inhabitants and numerous photovoltaic installations, Savoie is the largest French PV powerhouse and the premier French department for solar energies – Chambéry is first class French city for the number of installations in thermal and photovoltaic solar capabilities.
Savoie hosts the National 
The French centre of reference for the solar industry, INES receives industrialists for testing and developing their products and innovative procedures. The institute is founded upon three missions : training, research, and demonstration. The premier research teams began meeting with INES at the Savoie Technolac site in 2005, and will ultimately reach a class of over 200 researchers. INES is the product of the efforts of large public laboratories (CEA, CNRS, CSTB), training specialists (
To see the INES website : http://www.ines-solaire.com/
Planning to start business in France?
Discover our Welcome Package, developed to make your set up in France easier and faster!
See Press Releases See the brochure