Securing Energy Supply through Solar Self-Consumption
Locmaria Biscuits, a family-owned group founded in 1990 by Christian Tacquard, has always prided itself on bringing together the expertise of artisanal and regional biscuit makers. With seven production sites, the largest of which is located in Lavallay, France, the Breton group is also a strong advocate for reducing its environmental impact. Sophie Heiderich, Industrial Director of the Loc Maria Group, explains:
«The global framework of 2022 led us to accelerate our energy projects, and we decided to secure part of our supplies and thereby reduce our costs.»
This approach is part of a broader commitment to reduce the group’s environmental footprint: using 100% French ingredients, reducing packaging, and developing renewable energies for the production of their famous crêpes dentelle.
The Solar Initiative: A Step Towards Autonomy
Locmaria Biscuits has always been vigilant about optimizing its energy consumption. In 2016, the group installed its first photovoltaic park, which allowed it to meet 100% of the headquarters’ energy needs. In April 2023, an extension of this park was commissioned by the Emeraude Solaire group to meet the energy needs of part of the manufacturing site.
Xavier Borel, CEO of Emeraude Solaire, explains:
“The Emeraude group installs, designs, and develops photovoltaic power plant projects. For the Locmaria project, we were asked to install a self-consumption power plant on their site as we are currently seeing an increase in energy prices. Our ground-based self-consumption solution appealed to them.»
A Solid and Reliable Partnership with Green Power and Huawei
The photovoltaic solution implemented at Locmaria consists of two Huawei Sun 2000 100KTL inverters and 639 bifacial panels, made in France, for a total power of 249.38 kWp in self-consumption. Yannis Joetzjer, Project Manager, highlights the reasons for this choice:
«Huawei equipment offers great reliability, excellent ergonomics, and ease of use.»
Xavier Borel adds:
«Green Power has been a collaborator for almost 10 years as we primarily source Huawei inverters. Over the past decade, we have developed a strong relationship, benefiting from quick responses and anticipation of our needs with our Green Power contacts.»
Towards Increased Self-Consumption
Today, the photovoltaic park covers 7% of Locmaria Biscuits’ self-consumption needs.
Sophie Heiderich is already considering a second phase of expansion:
«The regulatory framework has just evolved, and we are already considering a second phase. We anticipate installing up to 1MW, which would triple the currently installed park and increase this self-consumption figure to 24%.»
Thanks to this initiative, Locmaria Biscuits continues to secure its energy supplies while reducing costs and environmental impact, demonstrating that self-consumption is a future pathway for companies concerned with their social and environmental responsibility.
Positive Impact and Future Projects
By integrating solar energy into its operations, Locmaria Biscuits not only reduces its energy costs but also contributes to the fight against climate change. The group is committed to continuing its efforts to increase the use of renewable energies.
Sophie Heiderich emphasizes the importance of this energy transition:
«We have always been very vigilant about our CSR footprint in our activities. We have always sought to optimize our consumption, and now the goal was to take the plunge and become autonomous in part of our consumption needs.»
Locmaria Biscuits plans other initiatives to strengthen its energy autonomy and sustainability. The goal is to create a model for other companies in the food industry, showing that it is possible to combine tradition, innovation, and environmental responsibility.
Locmaria Biscuits perfectly illustrates how an industrial company can secure its energy supplies while reducing costs and environmental impact. Through effective collaboration with Emeraude Solaire and Green Power and the use of reliable equipment like Huawei’s, the Breton group positions itself as a leader in the field of energy self-consumption. With ambitious projects for the future, Locmaria Biscuits continues to lead the way towards more sustainable and responsible production.