PLANAIR FRANCE SAS

What PLANAIR FRANCE SAS does

Planair France SAS is a French engineering consultancy and wholly-owned subsidiary of Swiss parent Planair SA, specializing in energy transition and decarbonation projects for buildings, industries, and territories. Since its parent was founded in 1985 and French operations expanded starting around 2009, the firm has grown to approximately 30 employees across three regional branches: Besançon (regional headquarters since September 2024, hosting the France management direction, master-contracting and instrumented-monitoring expertise), Chambéry (building engineering, opened 2017), and Lyon (solar energy centre of excellence housing IEA PVPS and SHC program representations).

The firm's core offering covers the full lifecycle of energy-transition projects: energy audits, feasibility studies for photovoltaic, geothermal, biomass, solar thermal, and waste-heat-recovery systems, regulatory thermal studies, full maître d'œuvre (master contractor) services from design through construction supervision, and post-installation performance monitoring. Service lines are organized into three domains — Sustainable Buildings, Efficient Industries, and Resilient Territories — plus a professional training program. The technology stack combines internal Excel and Python analysis tools with industry-standard engineering software (PVSYST, AutoCAD, SketchUp, Caneco PV, Cartodim, Polysun, Solo). Group-level employee ownership of approximately 20% and certifications (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OPQIBI) support independence and credibility in regulated public-sector tenders.

Revenue is generated through professional-services fees on a project basis, sourced primarily via consultative direct sales to public-sector and enterprise clients. Key customers include Ville de Besançon, SDEY and several Yonne communes, Communauté de Commune du Val de Morteau, Communauté de Communes d'Avallon Vezelay Morvan, Groupe Hospitalier de Rouffach, and Maison Départementale de Retraite de l'Yonne. The group reported combined revenue of CHF 20M in fiscal year 2025 across roughly 160-170 employees in France and Switzerland. Distribution is anchored by long-term client relationships, public procurement, and consortium participation in ADEME-funded R&D and demonstration projects such as TIMOTHE.

Name

PLANAIR FRANCE SAS

Legal name

Planair France SAS

Website

https://planair.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Planair France SAS is a French engineering consultancy, wholly-owned subsidiary of Swiss Planair SA, that designs and delivers energy-transition and decarbonation projects (energy audits, photovoltaics, geothermal, biomass, solar thermal, heat recovery, and maître d'œuvre services) for public-sector and enterprise clients across buildings, industries, and territories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Energy Transition Engineering Consulting

NAICS

Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Governance, Operating Model & Internal Carbon Pricing Design (EUABAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Permitting, Siting & Environmental Impact (EIA/NEPA) Advisory (EUAMANAB), Energy & Renewables Specialty Contracting (Solar PV, Storage, EV Charging) (IMAFALAJ)

Keywords

• Energy transition consulting
• Renewable energy engineering
• Building decarbonization services
• Photovoltaic engineering services
• Industrial energy efficiency

Headquarters

HQ city

Besançon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering and consulting services: Planair France generates revenue by providing engineering and consulting services to enterprises and public-sector clients for energy transition and decarbonation projects. Services include energy audits, feasibility studies (PV, heat recovery, biomass, geothermal), energy monitoring of technical installations, regulatory thermal studies, and full master contractor services (conception, construction supervision, performance tracking). The company accompanies clients throughout the entire lifecycle of their projects.
2. Renewable energy project services: Design and engineering of renewable energy installations including biomass, geothermal, solar thermal, photovoltaic systems, and waste heat recovery. Services span from initial feasibility studies to detailed design, construction monitoring, and post-installation performance monitoring.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Planair France is an engineering consultancy that designs and manages energy efficiency and decarbonization projects for enterprises, public-sector buildings, healthcare facilities, municipalities, and collective housing. Services span the full project lifecycle, including energy audits, feasibility studies, technical design (heating, cooling, ventilation, electricity, photovoltaic, geothermal, biomass, solar thermal, heat recovery), regulatory thermal studies, construction supervision as maître d'œuvre, and post-installation performance monitoring. The company also delivers professional training on building energy transition and operates the group's solar energy centre of excellence from Lyon.

Product overview

PLANAIR FRANCE SAS is an engineering consulting firm specializing in energy transition and decarbonation. Founded in 1985, the company offers a comprehensive portfolio of technical consulting services organized around three main domains: Sustainable Buildings (bâtiments durables), Efficient Industries (industries efficientes), and Resilient Territories (territoires résilients). The service portfolio includes energy audits, photovoltaic and solar thermal engineering, geothermal and biomass solutions, heat recovery systems, thermal studies (STD), HVAC engineering, master of public works project management (MOE), energy monitoring, carbon footprint assessments, and electric mobility infrastructure. The company also provides professional training programs. These services are delivered through a multidisciplinary approach covering the entire project lifecycle from feasibility studies through design, construction supervision, and operational performance monitoring.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Energy audits Comprehensive energy assessment services that identify optimization opportunities, savings potential, and decarbonation pathways for buildings, industrial sites, and territories. Sold to enterprises, public-sector entities, and collective housing owners.
• Photovoltaic engineering Solar PV system design, feasibility studies, and integration including storage solutions and self-consumption optimization. Delivered to enterprises, municipalities, healthcare facilities, and collective housing.
• Geothermal solutions Geothermal energy system design and implementation for heating and cooling applications, including feasibility studies and integration into municipal and building projects.
• Biomass energy engineering Biomass heating solutions including wood energy and agricultural fuel systems (e.g., straw, miscanthus) for industrial and healthcare facilities.
• Solar thermal engineering Solar thermal system design and engineering for domestic hot water and heating applications in buildings and collective housing.
• Heat recovery engineering Waste heat recovery and utilization studies and implementation for industrial and building applications.
• HVAC engineering (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) Complete HVAC engineering services from design through commissioning, covering building thermal systems.
• Thermal studies (STD) Regulatory thermal studies (STD) and building thermal dynamics simulation for compliance and energy performance optimization.
• Carbon footprint assessment Carbon footprint analysis and assessment services for organizations and projects to support decarbonation roadmaps.
• Self-consumption communities (ACC) engineering Engineering and implementation support for collective self-consumption energy communities (ACC), including battery storage and Flex Ready verification.
• Electric mobility infrastructure engineering Electric vehicle charging infrastructure planning and integration with renewable energy systems, including V2G projects.
• Maîtrise d'œuvre (MOE) project management Complete master contractor services for technical installations including design, construction supervision, and performance monitoring.
• Energy monitoring services Monitoring and performance tracking services for technical energy installations after deployment.
• Formation : Réussir la transition énergétique du bâtiment (RTEB training) Professional training program focused on successfully executing building energy transition projects, sold to building professionals and energy practitioners.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500 MWh/year renewable energy production and 100 tonnes CO2 avoided per year through the Besançon geothermal project
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 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

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TIMOTHE Consortium (Syrius Solar Industry, Forestener, Université de Rennes, Adaltys Avocats)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 December 2025Planair coordinates the TIMOTHE project (Tiers Investissement et Monitoring Optimisé pour le solaire thermique), co-financed by ADEME. The project addresses barriers to third-party investment in small and medium solar thermal installations in healthcare/social care and collective housing sectors. The consortium brings together industrial partners (Syrius Solar Industry, Forestener), academic expertise (Université de Rennes), and legal structuring (Adaltys Avocats). Planair provides project coordination and pilot site studies.
• INES (Institut National de l'Énergie Solaire, France)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Planair collaborates with INES on international solar development projects, particularly in Côte d'Ivoire. Together they conducted audits of existing solar PV and storage installations and developed two best-practice manuals for the installation, operation, and maintenance of solar PV systems and batteries. INES developed the 'Audit PV' application used for quality control during project reception.
• Seban AvocatsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025Legal partner in the SDEY renewable thermal energy feasibility studies project, providing legal and regulatory expertise for public and private contracting frameworks.
• Sciences EnvironnementminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025Partner responsible for hydrogeological studies for geothermal projects within the SDEY renewable thermal energy feasibility studies framework.
• EVI (Espace Vie Ingénierie)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024EVI is the group mandataire (lead contractor) for the Groupe Hospitalier de Rouffach biomass boiler project. Planair serves as master contractor for technical lots. EVI coordinates the broader project consortium including Céline Billig (architect) and SEDIME (structural engineering).
• Céline Billig (SLBE Architectes)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024Architectural partner for the Groupe Hospitalier de Rouffach biomass boiler project, responsible for building integration of the new technical installations.
• SEDIMEminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024Structural engineering partner for the Groupe Hospitalier de Rouffach biomass boiler project.
• GP ConseilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024GP Conseil collaborated with Planair's Lyon team to co-author the VADE-MECUM guide for municipalities on solar photovoltaic project development, supported by ADEME. The guide describes key steps from initial intent to concrete implementation, drawing on both technical and non-technical experience.
• SDEY (Syndicat Départemental d'Énergies de l'Yonne)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023SDEY has been working with Planair since 2023 on photovoltaic projects and innovative energy approaches. Planair conducts feasibility studies for renewable thermal solutions (geothermal, solar thermal, biomass, waste heat recovery) across Yonne department communes under a framework agreement. The collaboration also includes PV studies, solar shading structures, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
• IEA PVPS (Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlanair's Lyon branch hosts the French representation of the IEA's PVPS program, one of the world's leading collaborative research initiatives on photovoltaic systems. This provides access to cutting-edge international PV research and positions Planair as a key actor in solar energy expertise.
• IEA SHC (Solar Heating and Cooling Programme)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlanair's Lyon branch hosts the French representation of the IEA's SHC program, complementing its PVPS role. This dual IEA program representation makes the Lyon office a centre of excellence for all solar energy topics.
• ENERPLANcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational solar energy professional association. Planair's Lyon office hosts the ENERPLAN representation, contributing to national solar energy strategy and policy development.
• France Territoire SolairecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThink tank focused on solar energy deployment in French territories. Planair's Lyon office hosts the France Territoire Solaire representation.
• Think SmartgridsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench smart grids association. Planair collaborated with Think Smartgrids on verifying the Flex Ready compatibility of the SDEY solar shading project with electric vehicle charging, contributing to the development of flexible electricity networks.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Egis: Egis is a major French engineering group providing infrastructure, energy, and environmental engineering services globally. Their energy and environment practice competes with Planair for territorial energy planning, building decarbonation, and renewable energy integration projects, and they represent the larger multidisciplinary alternative often preferred by major public clients.
• Assystem: Assystem is a major French engineering group with significant energy transition, nuclear, and infrastructure practices. While much larger than Planair, Assystem competes for similar public-sector engineering tenders (energy master plans, decarbonation studies) and represents the type of scaled incumbent that constrains Planair's growth ceiling on larger contracts.

Direct peers

• I Care & Consult: I Care & Consult is a French consultancy specializing in environmental performance, carbon strategy, and resource efficiency for industrial and territorial clients. They share Planair's positioning around measurable environmental outcomes, BEGES carbon assessments, and energy transition roadmaps for industry and public-sector clients.
• GreenFlex: GreenFlex is a French energy and environmental consultancy providing energy efficiency, carbon strategy, and renewable energy advisory services to industrial and commercial clients. They share Planair's industrial decarbonation focus and similarly offer feasibility studies, energy audits, and transformation roadmaps.
• Tecsol: Tecsol is a French engineering firm specialized in solar energy (photovoltaic and solar thermal) feasibility, design, and project development. They share Planair's Lyon-based solar expertise focus and serve similar clients with PV engineering, integration studies, and solar thermal project services in France.
• Algoé: Algoé is a French engineering and management consultancy with a strong energy and environment practice serving public and private clients across France. Their energy transition offerings overlap directly with Planair's master contractor services, feasibility studies, and territorial energy planning, and they similarly serve municipalities, public institutions, and industrial clients.
• Inddigo: Inddigo is a French independent engineering consultancy specializing in sustainable construction, renewable energy, and territorial transition. Like Planair, Inddigo operates as a multidisciplinary firm serving public-sector clients (collectivités) and offers energy audits, building physics consulting, and renewable energy feasibility studies, making it the closest direct competitor in the French sustainable engineering space.
• EODD Ingénieurs Conseils: EODD is a French environmental engineering consultancy providing carbon assessment, energy transition, and sustainable development consulting. Their services overlap significantly with Planair's carbon footprint, energy efficiency, and decarbonization consulting, and they similarly target industrial and territorial clients across France.
• Hespul: Hespul is a French renewable energy association/consultancy specialized in photovoltaic deployment, self-consumption, and energy policy advocacy. Their work on collective self-consumption (ACC) and distributed PV directly parallels Planair's SDEY V2G/self-consumption projects and shares a similar mission of advancing decentralized renewable energy in France.
• Vizea: Vizea is a French sustainable development and energy transition consultancy offering building energy audits, carbon assessments, and territorial consulting. They overlap with Planair's sustainable buildings practice and similarly serve public-sector and real estate clients with a multidisciplinary consulting approach.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 PLANAIR FRANCE SAS