SerenySun, a pioneer in local energy communities, continues to grow, driven by regulatory changes

Based in the South of France, SerenySun, a company founded in 2018, is continuing its national rollout and confirming its role as a pioneer in collective self-consumption. The company has accelerated the creation of new energy communities across France, piloting large-scale projects - from financing to management - serving local authorities, developers and private players. Designed to meet the diversity of urban and peri-urban needs, these initiatives encourage a broad mix of consumers, right down to individuals, and help to anchor short energy circuits in the long term.

Founded in 2018 and based in the South of France, SerenySun is now establishing itself as a key player in the creation, financing and animation of local renewable energy communities throughout the country. Drawing on its expertise in collective self-consumption, its turnkey solutions for development from A to Z and its third-party investment business model, the company supports local authorities, businesses and citizens in accessing green, local and shared electricity.

With already 4 active energy communities representing 2 MWp of installed capacity and 2.25 GWh of annual production, SerenySun is stepping up its development. Sixteen new communities are currently under construction, representing a further 8.5 MWp to be commissioned by the end of 2025, while a further 15 are in the development phase to reach 17 MWp by 2026. In all, the company expects to have 35 communities deployed across the country by 2026, representing 27.5 MWp and 33.5 GWh of annual production - equivalent to the electricity consumption of nearly 8,400 households (excluding heating). Numerous projects are also under study to increase this capacity to 60 MWp by 2028, confirming SerenySun's ambition to anchor short energy circuits in the territories on a long-term basis.

Donald François, President of SerenySun, emphasizes, "I'm convinced that the energy transition can't be achieved without a strong territorial base, and I founded SerenySun to help territories achieve energy autonomy. Our ambition is clear: to democratize access to green, local energy throughout France."

Sustained growth in a changing regulatory environment

SerenySun's development is taking place against a backdrop of constantly changing legislation, which is encouraging the development of innovative legal arrangements to support the energy transition. Among these, the concession contract applied to photovoltaics is a major lever: it enables local authorities to entrust the solarization of their infrastructures to a specialized operator, without any initial investment, while ensuring a local supply of green electricity at a controlled cost. This model goes beyond the simple framework of property ownership, offering the possibility of sharing the energy produced with other local players - companies, businesses, individuals, associations - and thus promoting a fairer distribution of the value created.

SerenySun is actively deploying this model in Vitrolles, where work has already begun on the Notre énergie Vitrolles local energy community. The first photovoltaic power plants will be commissioned in autumn 2025 - on schools and a crèche - to supply several municipal buildings as well as the first private consumers. This pioneering project, the largest ever entrusted to an operator under a concession, will eventually solarize 25 public sites, producing nearly 8 GWh of green electricity per year and supplying a wide range of local players, from public services to businesses and shops, not forgetting the people of Vitrolles.

In addition, the decree of March 8, 2025 marks a significant change in the rules governing collective self-consumption. It now extends the scope of energy pooling to the entire territory of a municipality or inter-municipality, where production is intended for public sites. This regulatory breakthrough paves the way for more ambitious territorial projects that are better integrated with local needs.

Against this backdrop, and despite sometimes mixed signals at national level concerning the future of the photovoltaic industry, momentum remains strong in the field. Local authorities, in conjunction with local residents, are continuing their commitment to decentralized, sustainable energy models. SerenySun has established itself as a trusted partner, capable of financing and structuring complex projects while ensuring their long-term management.

A strong local presence and emblematic projects

While the company is developing operations all over France, in the South of France, the SerenyCalas operation in Cabriès - the first collective photovoltaic energy community in the region - illustrates the ambition carried by SerenySun. Since the end of 2021, it has brought together 90 participants (individuals, businesses, retirement homes, etc.) for shared, accessible energy at no investment cost to beneficiaries, and enables nearly 100% of the green energy produced to be valorized locally.

The company has also forged strategic partnerships with leading public and private players, such as the Terra Nea fund, dedicated to financing the ecological transition in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, and the Oser ENR regional fund in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, to support the development of ambitious collective solar projects. Other alliances, such as the one initiated with property company INEA, complete this ecosystem of investors committed to accelerating the local energy transition.