Soleil Du Midi
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersToulouse, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Soleil Du Midi does
Soleil du Midi is an independent French renewable energy project developer founded in 2007 and headquartered in Villemoustaussou (Aude), with engineering offices in Toulouse and a western-France hub in Angers. The company develops, builds, and operates turnkey photovoltaic and wind parks, specializing in small-scale Village Solar Parks (Parcs Solaires Villageois) of approximately one hectare that supply 300–1,000 residents each, alongside larger 17–20 MW wind farms, agrivoltaic installations, and site rehabilitation projects on degraded land (former landfills, quarries, railway corridors). With more than 500 MW of wind and solar projects developed across France in two decades, the company claims to be the leading French operator in village solar parks, with 30+ parks built and approximately 50 in development.
The business model combines direct territorial development with a multi-channel distribution approach: Soleil du Midi identifies land and co-develops projects with rural municipalities, departments, and regions; finances citizen participation through crowdfunding platforms such as Enerfip (with ~287+ shareholders in the first citizen solar park at Luc-sur-Aude); transfers completed parks to cooperatives including Enercoop (Midi-Pyrénées, Languedoc-Roussillon, Tournesols Mayennais) and utilities such as Générale du Solaire, ILEK, GEG, and TotalEnergies; and retains some assets for direct operation. Revenue streams thus span one-time project development fees, asset sale gains, and recurring operations revenue from retained parks.
The customer base spans rural communes, energy cooperatives, regional utilities, agricultural operators, and individual citizen-investors. The company is led by a four-person founding team (Benoît Pradier, Alain Argenson, Cyril Darnis, Bernard Pellat) with multi-decade renewable energy backgrounds, is fully independent with no disclosed institutional investors, and operates with approximately 15 employees anchored in the regions where they work.
Soleil Du Midi firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Soleil Du Midi
- Legal name
- Société Soleil du Midi
- Website
- https://soleildumidi.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Soleil Du Midi industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Renewable Energy Project Development
- NAICS
- Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Wind Electric Power Generation (221115), Electric Power Generation (22111)
- SIC
- Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991), Electric Services (4911)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Utility-Scale PV Project Development & Permitting (EUACAGAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Renewable Distributed Generation (Rooftop/Onsite Solar, Small Wind, Small Hydro) (EUACALAJ)
Keywords
Where Soleil Du Midi is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toulouse
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Soleil Du Midi business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Solar Park Development and Operation: Soleil du Midi develops, builds, and operates solar photovoltaic parks. Some parks are sold to partners (such as Générale du Solaire for ~75 MWc) while others remain under company operation or are transferred to cooperatives like Enercoop.
- Wind Farm Development: Development of wind energy projects in partnership with local authorities and energy cooperatives.
- Agrivoltaïsme Solutions: Specialized agrivoltaic project development combining agricultural production with solar energy generation.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Soleil Du Midi product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Soleil du Midi is a French independent renewable energy project developer that builds and operates turnkey solar photovoltaic and wind energy parks. The company specializes in small-scale village solar parks (Parcs Solaires Villageois), agrivoltaic installations combining agriculture with solar production, and citizen-owned cooperative energy projects developed with rural municipalities, energy cooperatives, and local authorities across France.
Product overview
Soleil du Midi is a renewable energy project developer offering an integrated portfolio of citizen-focused solar and wind solutions. The core offering centers on Parcs Solaires Villageois (small-scale village solar parks, the company's leading French specialty) alongside larger Parcs Éoliens (wind farms), Parcs Solaires Citoyens (citizen-owned solar), and emerging Agrivoltaïsme (agrivoltaic installations). These products share a common thread: community participation, territorial anchoring, and local energy autonomy. Projects range from 1 MW village parks to 20+ MW wind installations, developed across French regions with partners including Enercoop, ILEK, and Générale du Solaire.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Parcs Solaires Villageois (Village Solar Parks) Small-scale solar projects of approximately 1 hectare developed for rural villages of 300 to 1,000 residents, with about 2-year implementation cycles. Over 30 parks built and approximately 50 in development across France.
- Parcs Éoliens (Wind Farms) Wind energy projects developed in co-development with local communities or public utilities, with capacities ranging from 17 MW to 20+ MW.
- Parcs Solaires Citoyens (Citizen Solar Parks) Community-owned solar projects allowing local citizens to invest and become shareholders through participatory financing platforms such as Enerfip.
- Agrivoltaïsme (Agrivoltaics) Solar installations combined with agricultural activities including sheep farming, viticulture, arboriculture, market gardening, and other crops. Research initiated in 2019 with ENSEEIHT and ENSAT engineering schools.
- Autoconsommation Collective (Collective Self-Consumption) Solar projects where locally produced electricity is consumed directly by nearby consumers, reducing grid dependency.
- Réhabilitation de Sites (Site Rehabilitation) Development of solar parks on previously degraded or repurposed land including former landfills, quarries, and volcanic terrain, including rehabilitation of France's largest former tire dump at Lachapelle-Auzac and a former technical burial center in Réalmont.
Quantifiable outcome
- 500+ MW of wind and solar projects developed in 20 years
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Soleil Du Midi
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Soleil Du Midi technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature3 records
Soleil Du Midi partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Générale du SolairecoreStrategic partnership where Soleil du Midi sold several solar park projects totaling approximately 75 MWc to Générale du Solaire. This partnership strengthens large-scale development dynamics.
- SNCF-RéseaucoreFirst authorization in Sarthe department for village solar park on railway land through partnership with SNCF-Réseau.
- ILEKcoreILEK, a green electricity supplier, partnered with Soleil du Midi for the joint development of approximately 20 village solar parks across France. Parks are operated by ILEK.
- ENSEEIHT & ENSAT (Toulouse Engineering Schools)minorAcademic partnership for agrivoltaïc research. Students studied influence of solar panels on crops (cereals, livestock, market gardening) and helped develop first agrivoltaic village solar park at Puybégon.
- GEG (Gaz Électricité de Grenoble)core17 MW wind park development partnership in Aveyron. GEG is a regional energy company.
- Enercoop Midi-PyrénéescoreLong-standing partnership for cooperative solar parks including Saint-Quirc (first cooperative solar park in Ariège), Verniolle, and first agrivoltaic park at Puybégon.
- Enercoop Languedoc-RoussilloncorePartnership for village solar parks including Belvèze-du-Razès and Caux, operated by Enercoop Languedoc-Roussillon.
- EnercoopcoreMultiple partnerships with Enercoop cooperatives across France for solar park development.
- SNCF-RéseaucorePartnership for developing solar parks on former railway land (former LGV land in Mayenne). First parks on railway land in France.
- ALTER EnergiesminorPartnership for three village solar parks in Maine-et-Loire contributing to mobility and energy transition.
- Maine-et-Loire (Charter Signatories)coreSignature of Charte départementale pour les ENR à gouvernance locale in Angers, April 2023.
- TotalEnergiescoreSolar park development on former technical landfill at Réalmont (approximately 4 MWc) for TotalEnergies.
- Maine-et-Loire DepartmentcoreStrategic presence consolidation in western France through partnership with the department for renewable energy development.
- CLER (Réseau pour la transition énergétique)minorActive member and contributor to CLER, the network for energy transition. Featured in CLER magazine for citizen energy approach.
- EnerplanminorActive member of Enerplan, the solar energy professional association.
- FEE (France Énergie Éolienne)minorActive member of FEE, the French wind energy association.
- ECLR (Énergies Citoyennes Locales en Réseau)minorActive member of ECLR network for citizen-owned local energy.
- DerbiminorActive member of Derbi, regional energy transition network.
- AMORCEminorActive member of AMORCE, the association for local authorities on waste, energy, and transport.
- Tournesols MayennaiscorePartnership for first village solar parks in Mayenne, developed for this cooperative.
- GDS (Green Power Systems)minor10 MWc solar park at Saulgé (Vienne) developed in cooperation with Eco-musée du Montmorillonnais for GDS.
- SOLAGROminorCooperative of collective interest (SCIC) known in France for agrivoltaic research and sustainable agriculture consulting.
Scale indicators17 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Soleil Du Midi competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Urbasolar: French solar PV project developer acquired by EDF Renewables, focused on ground-mounted, rooftop, and agrivoltaic projects. Comparable in development methodology, French regional focus, and target off-takers (utilities, cooperatives, municipalities).
- VALEMO: French independent operator and developer of wind and solar assets. Comparable in scale, independent ownership model, and combined wind/solar offering targeting French rural territories and cooperatives.
- Photosol: One of France's largest independent photovoltaic developers, active in ground-mounted, rooftop, and agrivoltaic projects. Directly comparable to Soleil du Midi in business model (project development, transfer to operators/investors) and target market (French rural and decentralized solar).
- Générale du Solaire: French solar project developer and IPP, active in ground-mounted PV, agrivoltaics, and floating solar. A direct partner of Soleil du Midi (75 MWc project transfer) and a directly comparable independent French PV developer.
Broad incumbents
- Voltalia: French-listed renewable energy IPP developing wind, solar, hydro, and storage projects. Comparable end-market in France and combined wind/solar portfolio but operates at significantly greater scale and as a listed company with broader geographic reach.
- EDF Renewables: Subsidiary of EDF group developing onshore wind, solar PV, and offshore wind. Comparable end-market but a vastly larger incumbent with institutional capital, in-house EPC, and grid-scale focus.
- Engie Green: Subsidiary of ENGIE developing wind, solar, and biomethane projects in France. Comparable in technology portfolio (wind + solar) and target market but operates at much greater scale and as part of a broader utility portfolio.
- Boralex: Canadian-listed renewable energy developer with significant French wind and solar operations. Comparable in combined wind/solar development model and independent IPP positioning, though at much greater scale.
- TotalEnergies Renewables (France): Renewable arm of TotalEnergies active in French solar, wind, and agrivoltaic development. Already a partner of Soleil du Midi (Réalmont landfill) and a direct competitor in French PV tendering and agrivoltaic deployment.
Others
- Enercoop: French citizen-owned renewable energy cooperative and electricity supplier. A direct partner/off-taker of Soleil du Midi (Enercoop Midi-Pyrénées, Languedoc-Roussillon) and a key enabler of the citizen energy model, making it an ecosystem peer rather than direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Soleil Du Midi social profiles
Digital presenceSoleil Du Midi financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Soleil Du Midi leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Soleil Du Midi funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Soleil Du Midi M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Soleil Du Midi
What does Soleil Du Midi do?
Soleil du Midi is a French independent renewable energy project developer that builds and operates turnkey solar photovoltaic and wind energy parks. The company specializes in small-scale village solar parks (Parcs Solaires Villageois), agrivoltaic installations combining agriculture with solar production, and citizen-owned cooperative energy projects developed with rural municipalities, energy cooperatives, and local authorities across France.
Is Soleil Du Midi a public or private company?
Soleil Du Midi is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Soleil Du Midi founded?
Soleil Du Midi was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Soleil Du Midi based?
Soleil Du Midi is headquartered in Toulouse, France, in the Europe region.
How does Soleil Du Midi make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Solar Park Development and Operation is the primary driver. The others are wind Farm Development and agrivoltaïsme Solutions.
Who are Soleil Du Midi's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Urbasolar, VALEMO, Photosol and Générale du Solaire. Broad incumbents are Voltalia, EDF Renewables, Engie Green, Boralex and TotalEnergies Renewables (France). Enercoop is listed as an others.
Does Soleil Du Midi have an API?
No public API is recorded for Soleil Du Midi.
What industry is Soleil Du Midi in?
Soleil Du Midi's product category is Renewable Energy Project Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUACAGAA, Utility-Scale PV Project Development & Permitting, with a secondary code of EUACALAJ, Renewable Distributed Generation (Rooftop/Onsite Solar, Small Wind, Small Hydro). Its NAICS code is 221114 and its SIC code is 4991.