Free-Field Solar Power Plant Bessan

Site Overview
LocationBessan, France
Coordinates43.37° N, 3.38° E
Average global irradiance1,480 kWh/m2/yr
Average temperature15.1 °C, 59.18 °F
Average precipitation640 mm/yr, 25.2 in/yr
Technical Overview
Date on streamSeptember 2011
System capacity4.19 MWp
Panel typeSF140-L (140 W)
Number of installed panels29,931
Tilt angle, orientation15°, 0° S
Expected output5,570,000 kWh/yr
Total CO2 reduction4,010,000 kg/yr, 8,840,537 lbs/yr
InverterSMA: SC 400HE, SC 500HE, SC 630HE
Financing BankSaar LB
Saar LB

BELECTRIC designs, manufactures and constructs photovoltaic systems around the world. Beside Free-Field Solar Power Plants, they offer a wide product range consisting of photovoltaic rooftop installations as well as photovoltaic parking lot rooftops or photovoltaic greenhouse installations. The company is headquartered in Lower Franconian Kolitzheim and employees 2,000 people in 15 nations.

BELECTRIC France, based in Vendres, and building on the company’s tradition, develops and constructs roof-mounted photovoltaic systems and utility-grade-free-field solar power plants through its own engineering team. Taking advantage of BELECTRIC’s expertise, Bessan is the first power plant in France to use Solar Frontier’s cadmium and lead free CIS modules.

Based on an idyllically located historical vineyard in the south of France, this installation took only six weeks from planning to grid connection. The 29,931 black modules are installed at an incline of 15 degrees – lower than the more usual 25 degrees – and thereby integrating the homogenously black plant even better into its surroundings.

With an installed capacity of 4.19 MWp, the RoHS compliant Solar Frontier CIS modules are expected to generate an annual output of 5,570,000 kWh and a CO2 reduction of 4,010 tons per year.