Solar industry & buildings
With 75% of France's solar industry within a radius of 100km, and the largest concentration of solar-energy research bodies, Savoie is undoubtedly the center of development for solar in energy in France.
Rhône-Alpes, region of excellence for renewable energies
- The Rhône-Alpes region receives 48% of French R&D funding for renewable energies and 71% of funding for solar energy
- Rhône-Alpes produces 50% of the thermal solar equipment produced in France (due in large part to the French leader CLIPSOL) and contains 35% of the French market
- Rhône-Alpes has a strong scientific, technical and industrial base in the photovoltaic solar energy field: Photowatt, Total Energie, INVENSIL, Schneider Electric, CEA, CNRS, INPG, University of Savoie, INSA Lyon, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, etc.
- Rhône-Alpes is the undisputed leader for the construction of electrical and electronic components (75,000 jobs in the region)
- Rhône-Alpes has a large (3 million homes) and fast-growing housing market (+45,000 homes in 2006).
Savoie, the solar champion
With 82.5 m² of thermal solar panels per 1,000 inhabitants and a large number of photovoltaic installations, Savoie is France's leading "département" for solar energy and the largest producer of photovoltaic electricity. And Chambéry has been awarded first prize for the number of its photovoltaic solar installations.
Savoie: home to the National Solar Energy Institute
The National Solar Energy Institute (INES) provides the focal point for solar energy research and development in France. As well as providing companies with test and development facilities for products and new processes, INES has three main priorities: training, research and demonstration. The first research teams moved to INES's headquarters at Savoie Technolac in 2005, although the full complement of 200 scientists and engineers will not be operational until 2009. INES will unite the strengths of several public-funded research laboratories (CEA, CNRS, CSTB), higher education bodies (University of Savoie, ENSAM), local and regional authorities (Savoie "Départemental" Council, Rhône-Alpes Regional Council) and government bodies (ADEME).
Go to the INES website: http://www.ines-solaire.com/
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