Sunzil

What Sunzil does

Sunzil is a French photovoltaic (PV) engineering, procurement, construction, and operations company that designs, installs, and maintains solar energy systems for residential homeowners, professionals (businesses, farmers, commercial/industrial operators), local authorities, and large enterprises across the seven French overseas territories: Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyane, Réunion, Nouvelle-Calédonie, Polynésie, and Mayotte. Founded approximately 40 years ago (circa 1984) and headquartered in Dardilly, France, the company operates through four regional subsidiaries (Sunzil Caraïbes, Martinique, Océan Indien, Nouvelle-Calédonie) with local sales, engineering, installation, and O&M teams. Its core technology stack covers grid-connected and off-grid PV systems with or without battery storage, plus specialized anti-cyclonic installation design tailored to tropical island environments. The company is jointly owned by EDF and TotalEnergies, which provides shareholder stability and underwrites long-term module performance guarantees (30-year, ≥80% rated power retention).

Sunzil monetizes through a diversified mix of revenue streams: (1) turnkey installation sales with multi-stage payment terms (one-time project revenue); (2) long-term electricity sale contracts where professional customers sell surplus generation to EDF SEI at regulated tariffs of 14–29 c€/kWh under 20-year fixed-price agreements; (3) roof/land rental arrangements where Sunzil finances, builds, and operates solar plants on third-party property for 20–30 years, paying annual rent; (4) recurring O&M services for both owned and third-party PV plants, with a dedicated control room in Réunion; and (5) fee-for-service technical audits via the proprietary PVlab mobile diagnostic laboratory (thermography, flash testing, electroluminescence). Notable reference projects include Boulouparis (11.2 MWc, 16.6 GWh/year), Mahana O'Hiupe in Polynésie (10.7 MWc + 13.8 MWh storage, the largest in French Polynesia), and a 1.28 MWc installation on the Carrefour Punaauia retail rooftop. The company holds AQPV, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and RGE certifications, all required or expected for eligibility under French overseas territory regulated tariff frameworks.

Name

Sunzil

Legal name

SUNZIL SAS

Website

https://sunzil.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Sunzil is a French photovoltaic EPC and O&M firm that designs, installs, and maintains solar power systems for residential, commercial, agricultural, and government customers across the seven French overseas territories (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyane, Réunion, Nouvelle-Calédonie, Polynésie, Mayotte), backed by EDF and TotalEnergies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Solar Photovoltaic Installation Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Renewable Distributed Generation (Rooftop/Onsite Solar, Small Wind, Small Hydro) (EUACALAJ), Solar Financing, Leasing & Ownership Platforms (Tax Equity, PPA, Securitization) (EUAMABAJ), Solar Design, Engineering & Performance Software (PV Modeling, Digital Twins, Monitoring) (EUAMABAH)

Keywords

• Solar power installations
• Photovoltaic energy solutions
• Turnkey solar systems
• Solar plant maintenance
• Off-grid solar solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Les Auvergnes

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Solar Installation Sales (Clés en main): Turnkey sale of photovoltaic installations (panels, inverters, batteries, mounting structures) to residential and professional customers. Revenue is generated from the upfront sale of equipment and installation services. Payment terms include a minimum 10% deposit at order signing, 60% at suspensive condition clearance, and balance upon work completion. Installations are sold with various configurations: grid-connected self-consumption with or without storage, or full grid injection. The installation includes administrative handling (permits, grid connection, subsidies).
2. Electricity Sales (Vente d'électricité): Professional customers install PV generators on their buildings and sell the produced electricity to EDF (via regulated tariffs) under 20-year fixed-price contracts. Revenue per kWh ranges from 14 to 29c€ depending on territory and installation size (per the January 2024 tariff order). The tariff is revised quarterly. EDF commits to purchase electricity at fixed rates for 20 years, providing secure, long-term revenue for professional customers and driving demand for Sunzil installations.
3. Roof/Land Rental: Sunzil installs and operates solar plants on customer-owned rooftops or land (minimum 250m²) for 20–30 years. The property owner receives a regular annual rent in exchange for allowing use of the surface. Sunzil handles construction, maintenance, and grid connection. This is marketed to industrial building owners, agricultural operators, and local authorities.
4. Operations & Maintenance (O&M): Sunzil provides ongoing maintenance and exploitation services for solar installations, both for its own portfolio and for third-party owners. Services include preventive and corrective maintenance, performance monitoring, and operational management. A control room in Réunion specializes in monitoring PV plant performance.
5. Technical Audit Services: Fee-for-service technical audits of existing PV installations. Includes mobile laboratory diagnostics (thermography, flash testing, electroluminescence), fault analysis, performance optimization recommendations, and dispute resolution support. Targeted at PV plant operators seeking to diagnose underperformance or validate plant condition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sunzil designs, builds, and maintains photovoltaic solar power plants for residential customers and professionals across seven French overseas territories (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyane, Réunion, Nouvelle-Calédonie, Polynésie, Mayotte). The company sells and installs grid-connected and off-grid PV systems (with or without battery storage), enables customers to sell surplus electricity to EDF under 20-year contracts, rents customer rooftops or land to host its own plants, and provides ongoing operations, maintenance and technical audit services.

Product overview

Sunzil offers a comprehensive solar photovoltaic solutions portfolio for both residential (particuliers) and professional (professionnels) customers in French overseas territories. The core offerings include: (1) Autoconsommation — self-consumption solar systems; (2) Autoconsommation avec stockage — self-consumption with battery storage and anti-cutoff protection; (3) Sites isolés — off-grid solutions for remote locations; (4) Location de toiture — roof rental for solar installations; (5) Vente d'électricité — electricity sales to the grid; and (6) Solutions Clés en Main — turnkey project support. Professional solutions extend to Hangars photovoltaïques (solar hangars), Ombrières solaires (solar canopies), Bornes de recharge (EV charging), Pompage solaire (solar pumping), Telecom solutions, Maintenance & exploitation services, and Audit Technique services. The company operates through regional agencies in Caribbean (Guadeloupe, Martinique), Indian Ocean (Réunion), and Pacific (New Caledonia, Polynesia, French Guiana, Mayotte) territories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Autoconsommation (Self-Consumption Solar Installation) Turnkey grid-connected PV installation enabling customers to produce and consume their own electricity; reduces energy bills by up to 90%. Available as rooftop or ground-mounted systems for residential and professional buyers.
• Autoconsommation avec stockage (Self-Consumption with Battery Storage) PV system with battery storage that allows solar energy to be used day and night and provides anti-blackout protection during grid outages, especially relevant in cyclone-prone overseas territories.
• Sites isolés / Sites autonomes (Off-Grid Solar) Off-grid PV solutions with battery storage for remote locations and villages (e.g. inland Guyane, remote Pacific islands) without access to the public electricity grid, designed for minimal maintenance.
• Solution Anti-coupure (Anti-Outage Backup Solution) Backup system that automatically switches to battery storage during grid outages, ensuring continuous power supply for essential electrical equipment.
• Location de toiture (Roof/Land Rental) Sunzil installs and operates a solar plant on the customer's rooftop or land (minimum 250 m²) for 20–30 years; the property owner receives annual rental income with no capital investment.
• Vente d'électricité (Electricity Sales to EDF) Professional customers install PV generators on their rooftops and sell the produced electricity to EDF (via regulated tariffs) under 20-year fixed-price contracts at 14–29 c€/kWh depending on territory and size.
• Maintenance & exploitation (Operations & Maintenance) Preventive and corrective maintenance, performance monitoring and operational management services for solar installations (own portfolio and third-party plants), supported by a control room in Réunion specialized in PV plant monitoring.
• Audit Technique (Technical Audit / PVlab) Fee-for-service technical audits of PV installations using the PVlab mobile diagnostic laboratory, including drone thermography, flash testing and electroluminescence imaging to identify defects and optimize performance.
• Hangars photovoltaïques (Photovoltaic Hangars) Agricultural or industrial PV hangars that combine electricity generation with covered storage/working space, self-financed through 20-year fixed-rate network operator electricity sale contracts.
• Ombrières solaires (Solar Canopies) Solar canopies that combine electricity production with covered outdoor spaces such as parking lots, agricultural equipment storage, terraces or outdoor sales areas.
• Bornes de recharge solaires (Solar EV Charging Stations) Solar-powered EV charging stations for businesses that combine on-site PV generation with EV charging infrastructure.
• Pompage solaire (Solar Water Pumping)

Quantifiable outcome

• Electricity bill reduction of 50% for residential customers (testimonial evidence)
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Enercal (Nouvelle-Calédonie)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnercal is the energy utility of New Caledonia. Sunzil has partnered with Enercal on major projects including the Ouatom solar plant (inaugurated March 2018), which was the first and largest solar-plus-storage installation in New Caledonia.
• SorenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSunzil is a member of Soren, the French association that collects and recycles end-of-life photovoltaic panels. Sunzil uses Soren's services to ensure proper recycling of old panels removed during customer installations, with up to 95% of material being recovered.
• Entech Smart EnergiescoreTechnology or IntegrationEntech Smart Energies partnered with Sunzil on the Mahana O'Hiupe project in Polynésie (10.7 MWc + 13.8 MWh storage). Entech contributed energy storage technology and smart energy management solutions to this flagship agri-solar project.
• Mahana Ora ApicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMahana Ora Api was the local development partner for the Mahana O'Hiupe project in Polynésie. The project was co-developed by Sunzil with Mahana Ora Api to combine solar energy production with sustainable agricultural practices (bovine grazing under panels).

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Voltalia: French independent renewable energy developer and operator with PV, wind, storage and hybrid projects, including presence in French overseas territories. Closest comparable by business model (developer + EPC + operator) and French-territory focus.
• Akuo Energy: French independent renewable energy developer active in solar, storage and agri-PV across France and overseas territories. Comparable as a vertically integrated PV developer with island and tropical exposure.
• Urbasolar: French PV specialist with rooftop, ground-mounted and storage solutions for residential, commercial and utility customers. Comparable as a France-focused PV EPC and operator with similar customer mix.
• Techniques Solaires: French PV company providing turnkey solar solutions to businesses, local authorities and farmers, with storage and self-consumption offerings. Closely mirrors Sunzil's Clés en Main residential and professional model.
• Tenergie: French renewable energy developer and operator focused on PV, storage and biomass with B2B and B2C offerings. Comparable as a regionally rooted French PV EPC with multi-territory operations.

Emerging players

• TSE (agri-solar specialist): French agri-solar specialist combining crop or grazing with PV generation. Directly comparable to Sunzil's Mahana O'Hiupe agri-solar approach and to its agricultural hangar product line.
• Entech Smart Energies: French specialist in energy storage and smart energy management, co-developer of Sunzil's Mahana O'Hiupe flagship. Comparable as an enabling technology partner for island-scale PV-plus-storage projects.

Broad incumbents

• EDF Renewables: Global renewable arm of EDF, one of Sunzil's principal shareholders. Operates utility-scale solar and storage across France and overseas territories; competes for the same tenders while providing offtake and balance-sheet support to Sunzil.
• TotalEnergies Renewables: Renewable arm of TotalEnergies, Sunzil's other principal shareholder. Competes in French overseas PV tenders while also providing strategic capital and project co-development capability.

Regional players

• Enercal: New Caledonia's incumbent electricity utility and Sunzil's co-development partner on the Ouatom plant. Comparable as a vertically integrated island utility that also develops and operates solar-plus-storage assets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Sunzil