What GENERALE DU SOLAIRE does

Générale du Solaire (GDS) is an independent French photovoltaic electricity producer founded around 2008–2010 and headquartered in Paris, structured as a SAS with €2,600,469 in share capital (SIREN 537 375 875). Unlike EPC contractors that divest projects after construction, GDS develops, finances, builds, owns, and operates solar assets over multi-decade horizons, capturing the full asset economics of its plants. Its portfolio spans ground-mounted installations (the dominant line), floating PV on reservoirs, rooftop systems on commercial and public buildings, agrivoltaics, solar greenhouses, agricultural buildings with integrated PV, parking canopies (ombrières), self-consumption kits, and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) added as a 2026-era extension. The company monetizes through regulated 20-year CRE tariffs won via public calls for tenders (over 500 projects awarded historically), direct corporate Power Purchase Agreements (cPPAs) such as the 87 MW Sonzay deal with SNCF Energie, and electricity sales to third parties and on the open market.

Its customers span local authorities (municipalities such as Evry and La Chapelle-Saint-Ursin with multi-MWc ground-mount projects), industrial and tertiary clients (IKEA, Swiss Post for self-consumption), large institutional offtakers (SNCF Energie, regional governments such as Région Rhône-Alpes for lycées), agricultural operators, landowners, and mines/quarries. GDS serves these buyers through a regional office network — Paris, Montpellier (regional HQ), Bordeaux, Metz, Lyon, plus Milan via the wholly-owned GDS Sole Italie subsidiary and Africa/Middle East via GDS International — with a direct enterprise sales motion and project-specific pricing tied to surface area and installation type. Reported headcount is described on the company's own website as "Plus de 500 collaborateurs," though the firmographic field lists 51–100; this discrepancy is unresolved in the input.

Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the website displays a placeholder "M€ de chiffre d'affaires en 2025" without a numeric value. A 2022 funding round (~$9.1M, Inspired Evolution Investment Management) and a 2026 strategic partnership with JP Energie Environnement to acquire the 87 MW Sonzay project from Quercus Energies — together with the GW-scale project pipeline stated on its website — indicate an owner-operator in active build-out rather than a mature cash-cow phase. There is no evidence of AI/ML capabilities in the input data.

Name

GENERALE DU SOLAIRE

Legal name

GENERALE DU SOLAIRE

Website

https://gdsolaire.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Générale du Solaire (GDS) is an independent French photovoltaic producer that develops, finances, builds, owns, and operates utility- and mid-scale solar plants across France, Italy, and Africa, serving municipalities, industrial clients, agricultural operators, and corporate offtakers via CRE-regulated tariffs and corporate PPAs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Solar Power Generation

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Electric Power Generation (22111)

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991), Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

Solar EPC & Construction (Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Balance of System) (EUAMABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Distributed Generation (DG) Solar & Small Wind (EUAMAJAD), Distributed Storage (Behind-the-Meter Batteries) (EUAMAJAE), Renewable Distributed Generation (Rooftop/Onsite Solar, Small Wind, Small Hydro) (EUACALAJ)

Keywords

• Solar power generation
• Photovoltaic EPC services
• Renewable energy development
• Agrivoltaic solutions
• Corporate power purchase agreements

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Electricity production and sales: Sale of electricity produced by owned solar plants to operators at regulated tariffs, to third parties (local consumers, industrial companies, local authorities) via direct contracts, or directly on the market.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Générale du Solaire is an independent French photovoltaic electricity producer that develops, finances, builds, and operates utility-scale and distributed solar power plants. The company delivers turnkey solar projects across ground-mounted, floating, rooftop, agrivoltaic, parking canopy, agricultural building, and greenhouse configurations, and provides battery storage (BESS), self-consumption solutions, corporate PPAs, and long-term operations and maintenance.

Product overview

Générale du Solaire is an independent French producer of renewable photovoltaic electricity operating across the entire solar value chain. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of ground-mounted, floating, rooftop, and agricultural solar power plants, complemented by battery storage (BESS), self-consumption solutions, and corporate PPA services. Their product range includes Centrales au Sol (ground-mounted), Centrales Flottantes (floating), Centrales en Toiture (rooftop), Ombrières (parking canopies), Bâtiments Agricoles (agricultural buildings), Serres Photovoltaïques (solar greenhouses), and Agrivoltaïsme solutions. The company provides end-to-end services spanning project development, financing, engineering & construction, and exploitation & maintenance. The portfolio is supported by innovation initiatives and delivered through two international subsidiaries: GDS International (Africa/Middle East) and GDS Sole Italie (Italy).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Centrales au Sol (Ground-Mounted Solar Plants) Large-scale ground-mounted photovoltaic solar power plants on land, including rehabilitated degraded sites, former landfills, quarries, and agricultural land. Built and operated for utilities, landowners, and municipalities.
• Centrales Flottantes (Floating Solar Plants) Floating photovoltaic installations on water bodies (reservoirs, retention basins) that optimize land use and reduce water evaporation. Minimum 5 ha basin surface required.
• Agrivoltaïsme (Agrivoltaic Solutions) Agrivoltaic solutions combining solar energy production with agricultural activities, enabling dual use of land for farming and electricity generation. Targeted at farmers and agricultural operators.
• Centrales en Toiture (Rooftop Solar Systems) Rooftop photovoltaic systems installed on commercial, industrial, and public buildings including logistics platforms and schools. Minimum 1,500 m² building surface required.
• Ombrières Photovoltaïques (Solar Parking Canopies) Solar parking canopies providing shade for vehicles while generating electricity for commercial and industrial car parks. Minimum 150 parking spaces required.
• Bâtiments Agricoles Photovoltaïques (Photovoltaic Agricultural Buildings) Solar-equipped agricultural buildings including barns, stables, riding arenas, and storage facilities. Minimum 1,500 m² in PACA, Occitanie, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Nouvelle-Aquitaine regions only.
• Serres Photovoltaïques (Solar Greenhouses) Solar greenhouses combining agricultural production with photovoltaic energy generation. Minimum 10,000 m² surface required.
• Autoconsommation (Self-Consumption Solar Solutions) Self-consumption solar solutions allowing businesses and industries to generate and consume their own electricity on-site, reducing energy costs.
• Stockage d'électricité par batteries (BESS) Battery energy storage systems (BESS) integrated with solar installations to store excess electricity for later use, supporting energy independence and grid stability. Minimum 1,000 m² required.
• Contrat d'achat d'électricité (Corporate PPA / cPPA) Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (cPPA) services enabling businesses to secure long-term renewable electricity supply contracts directly from Générale du Solaire's solar plants.
• Exploitation-Maintenance & Gestion Photovoltaïque (O&M Services) Operation and maintenance services for photovoltaic plants including performance monitoring, preventive/corrective maintenance, cleaning, and asset management.
• Développement de projets photovoltaïques (Project Development Services) End-to-end project development services for photovoltaic installations, from site identification through permitting and grid connection.
• Financement de projets photovoltaïques (Project Financing Services) Project financing services for solar energy developments including equity and debt arrangement.
• Ingénierie & Construction (Engineering & Construction) Engineering and construction services for photovoltaic power plants including design, procurement, and installation (EPC).

Quantifiable outcome

• Ground-mounted projects ranging from 2.4 MWc to 34.5 MWc per installation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered major, core, supporting and minor.

• JP Energie Environnement (JPee)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2026JPee and Générale du Solaire partnered to acquire a 87 MW ground-mounted solar project at Sonzay (Indre-et-Loire) developed by Quercus Energies. The solar park will produce over 100 GWh per year to supply green electricity to SNCF Energie on a long-term basis. This represents the last CPPA contracted by SNCF Energie for powering trains operated by SNCF Voyageurs.
• Quercus EnergiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuercus Energies developed the 87 MW ground-mounted solar project at Sonzay that was subsequently acquired by the JPee-GDS partnership. GDS works with Quercus as a project development partner.
• Soleil du MidicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoleil du Midi, a pioneer in citizen renewable energy, initiated and developed the Luc-sur-Aude project for Générale du Solaire. The project was awarded through CRE tender and includes participatory financing via Lendopolis platform.
• LendopolissupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorParticipatory financing platform used by GDS for citizen-funded solar projects. The Luc-sur-Aude project used Lendopolis to allow local citizens to invest in the solar installation, with funds exclusively reserved for residents of Aude department and neighboring departments.
• Énergie Solidaire Auvergne-Rhône-AlpesminorOthersGDS supports the 'Énergie Solidaire Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes' regional program to combat energy poverty among farmers and agricultural workers. Approximately 14% of households in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes experience energy vulnerability, higher than the national average.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Sonnedix: Global independent solar power producer (IPP) with a long-term owned-and-operated asset strategy across multiple geographies — directly comparable ownership model and revenue profile, though at larger international scale.
• Photosol: French solar developer and operator (now part of the EDF group) building ground-mounted and rooftop installations across France — overlaps directly with GDS on ground-mounted and rooftop solar IPP in France.
• Voltalia: France/Europe-headquartered renewable IPP operating across wind, solar, hydro, and storage with an integrated developer-to-operator model — closely comparable to GDS in geography and value-chain coverage.
• CVE Group: Independent French solar power producer and cPPA provider delivering turnkey solar and storage projects to corporate and public buyers — directly comparable to GDS's IPP + cPPA strategy and customer base.
• NEOEN: Major French independent renewable energy producer (wind, solar, storage) with a fully integrated IPP model — directly comparable in business model and geography, though at substantially larger scale.
• JP Energie Environnement (JPee): French independent renewable energy IPP focused on wind and solar development/EPC, with whom GDS co-acquired the 87 MW Sonzay project — directly comparable in size, geography (France), and vertically integrated developer/operator model.

Emerging players

• Sun'R: French independent solar developer specializing in agrivoltaics and innovative PV applications — comparable niche overlap with GDS's agrivoltaic and innovative PV offerings, though materially smaller.

Broad incumbents

• Engie Green (Engie): Subsidiary of major French utility Engie, operating one of France's largest wind and solar portfolios — competes with GDS in French CRE tenders and cPPAs as a broad renewable energy incumbent.
• EDF Renewables: Renewable arm of French utility EDF, a dominant French solar developer/operator participating in CRE tenders — broad incumbent competitor to GDS in France on ground-mounted, rooftop, and storage projects.
• Lightsource bp: One of the largest global solar development and EPC operators; competes with GDS in utility-scale ground-mounted solar and increasingly in agri-PV and floating PV across Europe, though at substantially larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/generaledusolaire
• Instagraminstagram.com/generale_du_solaire
• Xx.com/Gdsolaire
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/g-n-rale-du-solaire

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GENERALE DU SOLAIRE