At the Aix-Les-Milles airfield, an aircraft " soaks up the sun "This is made possible by mobile solar containers, installed last September by Tysilioa specialist in self-consumption solar solutions. The station, equipped with 80 solar panels (giving it a power output of 23 kwp), is being made available by the young Aix-based company to recharge the electric aircraft taking part in the Elektropostal challenge. This raid is led by illustrious pilots who are crossing the routes of l'Aéropostale to promote the decarbonisation of the aviation sector.
This was an opportunity for Tysilio to confirm in real-life conditions the adaptability and reliability of its containerised solar power plant. Awarded the Capenergies label in 2018, this solution, designed to meet the needs of industrial and commercial infrastructure management in isolated areas, particularly in Africa, is also perfectly suited to the needs of leisure aviation.
A transportable, competitive solar energy container
In Aix-en-Provence, Tysilio's solar container demonstrator was able to supply Elektropostal's aircraft with clean energy through a system comprising 23.6 kWp of photovoltaic solar panels on the ground and 2.2 kWp on the roof, combined with an intelligent control system.
" Installing the station, repotting it in the container and transporting it are realistic and quick, even with a small team, and the solution remains reliable even when dismantled and reassembled. The project can move on to the industrialisation phase. "says Jean Pellet, Managing Director of Tysilio, which is targeting the solarisation of airfields. This is a market that is poised to grow as a result of a new tax on fuel used by leisure aviation that is planned for the next government finance bill.
Tysilio uses an innovative and competitive business model to offer its solar station for hire: " The aim is to offer clean, reliable and competitive electricity, whatever the installation environment and the investment capacity of our customers. It is also a response to the constraints of land management, since the station can be installed and then moved according to the needs of the customer or the requirements of the site. The solar station offers immediate CO2 savings as well as cost savings, with no obligation to purchase. " explains Jean Pellet.
Development prospects in France and Africa
Tysilio operates both in France and internationally, particularly in the African market for medium-power (<1MWp) self-consumption photovoltaic solutions. With its containerised solar power plant, the company is targeting this market in particular. The project, which was accredited by Capenergies in 2018, received its first funding the following year: " the label, and especially the preparatory work, was very useful in opening the doors to the BPI France and BNP Paribas financing that followed. "
As Jean Pellet explains: "Today, the prospects for development are significant. There are many applications and uses in France and Africa when it comes to reducing the use of generators or compensating for an unstable, uncertain and expensive network, especially with the development of storage. Our customers include manufacturers, managers of humanitarian and military camps, and large-scale construction sites."
This year, the company signed its first sales and rental contracts with the French Army, Médecins sans Frontières and several customers based in Senegal and Mali.
To find out more:
👉 Find out more about Tysilio's technology and offerings
👉 Paris Match video report testing one of the electric aircraft in the Elektropostal challenge