What Sunelis does

Sunelis is a French photovoltaic solar installer founded in 2008 by Thomas Gheselle, Barthélémy Lucas, and Jérôme Borne, headquartered in Fretin near Lille and operating as a privately held SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée). The company designs, installs, and maintains turnkey solar PV systems — rooftop installations, ground-mounted plants, and parking canopies (ombrières) — for professional, agricultural, industrial, tertiary, and public-sector clients across northern France, with regional agencies in Hauts-de-France, Normandie, and Grand-Est. Core technology is conventional crystalline-silicon photovoltaic generation, augmented by lightweight/flexible modules for fragile roofs, lithium-ion battery storage, and APSAD Q19-certified remote monitoring with thermographic inspection for predictive maintenance.

Sunelis monetizes solar installations through several revenue streams: project-based installation fees (€0.60–€1.00/Wc for ≤10 MWc systems), revenue-share or buyback arrangements under the regulated Vente totale and Autoconsommation avec vente du surplus frameworks (EDF OA 20-year contracts), Autoconsommation collective for shared-perimeter installations, hardware sales for battery storage add-ons, and recurring maintenance contracts (remote supervision, panel cleaning, repowering/revamping). Customer acquisition runs through regional field-sales teams (chargés d'affaires) supported by content marketing, SEO, and regulatory-urgency campaigns tied to the APER law parking-canopy mandate; distribution is direct (B2B), with no reseller channel. Sunelis holds RGE Qualibat, Qualifelec SPV indices 2 and 3, Qualifelec Maintenance, ISO 9001, and GDPR/CNIL compliance, and reports €33M annual revenue, 100+ employees, and 1,800+ cumulative installations with a 4.5/5 Google rating across 332 reviews.

Name

Sunelis

Legal name

SAS SUNELIS

Website

https://sunelis.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Sunelis is a French photovoltaic installer founded in 2008 that designs, builds, and maintains rooftop, ground-mounted, and parking-canopy solar systems for agricultural, industrial, commercial, and public-sector clients across northern France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Solar Photovoltaic Installation Services

NAICS

Roofing Contractors (23816)

SIC

Asphalt Paving & Roofing Materials (2950)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Solar Roofing & Roof-Mounted PV Systems (IMADAFAO), Solar Operations, Maintenance & Asset Management (EUAMABAC), Solar Financing, Leasing & Ownership Platforms (Tax Equity, PPA, Securitization) (EUAMABAJ)

Keywords

• Photovoltaic system installation
• Solar canopy installation
• Rooftop solar panels
• Ground-mounted solar
• Commercial solar energy

Headquarters

HQ city

Fretin

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Solar electricity sale — Vente totale (full sale): The customer sells the entirety of their solar production to EDF OA or another authorized buyer under a 20-year fixed-price obligation-to-purchase contract. Revenue is predictable and guaranteed for the contract duration.
2. Self-consumption with surplus sale — Autoconsommation avec vente du surplus: The customer consumes solar electricity on-site first, then sells any excess production to the grid. The surplus is purchased under a 20-year contract. This model maximizes self-consumption rates (up to 95% achievable per Enerplan) and reduces grid electricity purchases.
3. Collective self-consumption — Autoconsommation collective: Multiple entities (companies, public sector, cooperatives) share solar production from one or more installations within a defined geographic perimeter. Costs and production are split by a designated legal entity (PMO — Personne Morale Organisatrice).
4. Battery storage augmentation: Battery storage systems (lithium-ion) are offered as an add-on to solar installations, allowing customers to maximize self-consumption by storing excess daytime production for use during peak hours or nighttime. Reduces electricity bills by up to 50% on some sites.
5. Maintenance and technical services: Sunelis offers ongoing maintenance contracts covering remote supervision, panel cleaning (optimizing production by up to 25%), corrective maintenance (diagnostic within 2h, on-site intervention within 48h), and repowering/revamping services to modernize older installations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sunelis designs, installs, and maintains photovoltaic solar systems for professional clients across northern France. Its core offerings span three installation types — rooftop (Centrale sur toiture), ground-mounted (Centrale au sol), and parking canopies (Ombrières de parking) — supported by four electricity production/economic models (self-consumption with surplus sale, full sale, collective self-consumption, battery storage) and ongoing maintenance services including remote monitoring and thermographic inspection.

Product overview

Sunelis offers a comprehensive photovoltaic solutions portfolio centered on three core installation types: ground-mounted solar farms (Centrale au sol), rooftop solar installations (Centrale sur toiture), and parking canopies (Ombrières de parking). These are supported by a full lifecycle service suite covering feasibility studies, design, installation, and ongoing maintenance. Four electricity production models are offered — self-consumption with surplus sale, full sale, collective self-consumption, and battery storage — allowing clients to choose the optimal revenue or cost-reduction strategy. Maintenance and troubleshooting services ensure long-term yield optimization across all installations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ombrières de parking (Solar parking canopies) Solar canopy structures installed over parking areas, transforming parking lots into electricity-generating installations while also protecting vehicles from weather. Targeted at businesses and local authorities to comply with the APER law.
• Centrale sur toiture (Rooftop solar installation) Photovoltaic installations mounted on building rooftops (commercial, industrial, agricultural, or tertiary), enabling on-site electricity production and reducing energy costs or generating revenue through feed-in tariffs.
• Centrale au sol (Ground-mounted solar installation) Ground-mounted photovoltaic installations on undeveloped land, former industrial sites, quarries, or degraded agricultural land, converting unused terrain into renewable energy production sites.
• Maintenance et dépannage (Maintenance and troubleshooting) Comprehensive maintenance services including remote monitoring, preventive visits, panel cleaning, thermographic inspections, emergency repairs, and repowering/revamping to maximize yield and longevity of installed solar installations.
• Autoconsommation avec vente du surplus (Self-consumption with surplus sale) Self-consumption model where generated electricity is used on-site first and excess production is sold to the grid via a 20-year feed-in contract, reducing energy bills while generating supplementary revenue.
• Vente totale (Full sale) Full-sale model where all photovoltaic production is injected into the public grid and sold under a 20-year obligation-to-purchase contract, providing stable recurring revenue for the site owner.
• Autoconsommation collective (Collective self-consumption) Collaborative model enabling multiple businesses, cooperatives, or local authorities within a defined geographic perimeter to share electricity produced by one or more shared photovoltaic installations.
• Stockage sur batteries (Battery storage) Battery storage solutions using lithium-ion technology to maximize self-consumption rates, store excess solar energy for use during low production periods, and provide backup power, particularly valuable for sites with consumption patterns misaligned with solar production peaks.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,800+ solar installations completed
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EnediscoreOthersEnedis is the French electricity distribution network operator. Sunelis coordinates all grid connection applications through Enedis for every project. This is a mandatory regulatory partnership — no solar installation can operate without a connection agreement. Sunelis manages the full administrative process with Enedis on behalf of its clients.
• EDF OA (EDF Obligation d'Achat)coreOthersEDF OA is the primary electricity buyback operator in France under the state-regulated obligation-to-purchase mechanism. Sunelis facilitates its clients' applications for 20-year buyback contracts with EDF OA (or other authorized buyers) for surplus or full solar production sales.
• Commission de Régulation de l'Énergie (CRE)coreOthersCRE is the French energy regulatory authority that sets and oversees the Appel d'Offres Simplifié (AOS) framework for solar installations between 100 and 500 kWc. Sunelis prepares and submits client applications within the competitive AOS tender process.
• R3 (cabinet conseil)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerR3 is a consulting firm engaged by Sunelis to conduct its first Carbon Assessment (Bilan Carbone) in 2025, with support from BPI and the Rev3 program. This partnership supports Sunelis's internal ESG reporting and emissions reduction strategy.
• Rev3 (Troisième Révolution Industrielle des Hauts-de-France)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRev3 is a regional initiative in Hauts-de-France supporting the third industrial revolution and energy transition. Sunelis participates in this ecosystem as a solar installer partner, benefiting from regional support programs for its carbon assessment.
• Lemon InteractiveminorOthersLemon Interactive is the web agency that designed and develops Sunelis's website (www.sunelis.com). Located in Lezennes, near Lille. This is a technical/creative services partnership.
• NexylanminorOthersNexylan is the web hosting provider for Sunelis's website, based in Roubaix. Ensures website uptime and security.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Direct peers

• CVE (Commerciale Voltaïque d'Énergie): French independent solar power producer offering turnkey rooftop, canopy and ground-mounted solutions to B2B clients, including self-consumption and storage. Overlaps with Sunelis on agricultural rooftop and ombrière installations.
• Urbasolar: French solar EPC company (subsidiary of EPH) with a comparable B2B/professional focus, offering rooftop, ground-mounted and canopy installations across metropolitan France. Direct competitor for the same enterprise and public-sector tenders Sunelis targets.
• Générale du Solaire: French solar EPC serving professionals across rooftops, carports and ground-mounted. Direct competitor offering similar APER-driven ombrière solutions, particularly in regional markets across France.
• Ténergie (formerly Tenergie): Independent French renewable energy producer focused on mid-scale solar rooftops and ground-mounted plants for B2B clients. Offers similar agricultural, tertiary and municipal solar solutions with self-consumption models.
• Photosol: Major French solar EPC and developer developing ground-mounted and rooftop projects for professional clients. Comparable in offering turnkey solar solutions with self-consumption and feed-in tariff models to agricultural, industrial and tertiary customers.
• Sowee (Engie / EDF group spinoff): Solar and energy services provider offering residential and small-business rooftop PV with storage in France; overlaps with Sunelis on smaller-scale projects and residential/SMB market.

Broad incumbents

• IDEX (France): French energy services company offering multi-technical building solutions including solar PV, storage and energy management to commercial and industrial clients. Adjacent incumbent with comparable decarbonization solutions.
• Engie Green: Subsidiary of Engie dedicated to renewable energy development in France, including large-scale solar EPC. Competitor on utility-scale and large rooftop projects; offers overlapping capabilities as part of a much wider portfolio.
• Greenyellow: French energy services and solar PV provider owned by Casino Group, offering rooftop solar, storage, and energy efficiency to B2B customers. Overlaps with Sunelis on professional rooftop and ombrière installations.
• EDF Renewables France: EDF's renewable energy arm developing wind, solar and storage projects across France. Overlaps with Sunelis on large solar EPC and competes for major enterprise and municipal tenders.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sunelis

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Sunelis