Community Renewable Energy Project in the Territory with Énergie Citoyenne en Touraine

On Tuesday, April 19, the “Velpeau en Transition” photovoltaic power plant was inaugurated, an event organized by Énergie Citoyenne en Touraine and the Velpeau en Transition collective. These two groups envisioned this citizen-led project with the shared goal of contributing to ecological and civic transition through collective action.

This initiative, launched in the Centre-Val de Loire region, follows the success of a previous project: the installation of photovoltaic panels on the Vaucanson high school roof. The new project takes a similar approach, featuring twenty-seven solar panels installed on the roof of a residential building in the Velpeau district. The aim is to integrate energy production into everyday actions for energy transition.

The ambition?

Raise awareness among residents and give citizens a voice.

The objectives?

• Increase renewable energy production in the neighborhood by installing solar panels that meet strict specifications.
• Develop, build, and finance a photovoltaic power plant with local residents for local energy consumption.
• Engage citizens in decisions regarding energy production.

What is a “citizen project”?

Led by a collective and an association, this citizen-driven project is funded by Velpeau neighborhood residents and the Centre-Val de Loire Region. It is based on four key principles:

• Local initiative – The project belongs to the local communities and residents, who design, manage, and finance it.
• Citizen funding – The project is built and financed by the community.
• Democratic governance – Decision-making is cooperative, participatory, and democratic.
• Reinvestment of profits – The earnings will be used to fund future citizen-led energy transition projects or educational initiatives.

And now, Velpeau’s solar energy production is becoming a reality! You can even track it in real time.