The two Varennes ground-mounted photovoltaic farms, located in the Varennes-Sur-Allier commune, have a total output of 8 MWp and are composed of 20,168 photovoltaic panels covering an area of 11 hectares. In 2024, the solar farms produced 7,821 MWh, equivalent to the electricity consumption of around 4,500 people.

The farms were developed and built by BayWa r.e., which continues to provide maintenance services.

Sheep farming on site

Since 2020, a flock of ewes has been grazing and maintaining the site in an environmentally friendly way. Access to additional land has enabled the local farmer to expand his flock to 80 ewes. 

"The BayWa r.e. teams are serious, competent, available and ready to listen. The Varennes site went very well, and once construction was complete I was able to develop my sheep farm with complete peace of mind. Since it was commissioned in 2020, I've noticed that the grass under the panels stays green for longer and is of good quality. The ewes take refuge underneath when it's very hot. I'm convinced of the benefits of photovoltaics and the synergies that can be achieved with livestock farming. That's one of the reasons why we're continuing to work with BayWa r.e. on farmland that I farm nearby." Jean-Louis BLANC, partner farmer

SOLAR R&D project 

BayWa r.e. is conducting a 2-year Research and Development project called SOLAR, which stands for Solutions d'Optimisation et Leviers pour un Agrivoltaïsme Résilient (Optimisation Solutions and Levers for Resilient Agrivoltage).