Jan 31 2011
Renewable energy sector of France is booming with increased participation by farmers. Good numbers of farmers are trying to invest in renewable energy sector to manage the instability in farm price and to support the renewable energy sector.
They see the clean energy opportunities in biomass, wind and solar energy sectors for making regular income among the fast changing commodity prices and to reply to the branded image that farms are polluting.
The farmers are also looking for ways to circumvent the fossil oil price rise and the harsher environmental laws. The use of renewable energy though may not change the very livelihood of the farmers but will bring in enough breathers from spending on energy and pollution related problems. Initially farm groups were looking at biogas as a viable alternative due to possibilities of easily supportable and locally managed agricultural products and now have started adopting wind and solar products. In Igney, a local village known for Munster Cheese, the local people shared nearly 10% of the total investment of 35 million euro in a start-up project of Erelia, an associate of GDF Suez to construct 22 wind mills in the locality. Stephane Malgras, who has invested around 10,000 euros for the project, will receive 7% annual dividend for the investment in addition to 6,000 euros as rental for keeping two wind turbines in his land area. The project in addition to providing a momentum for renewable energy growth in the district also has enabled the farmers to earn money from the project.
A number of farms have signed for the installation of solar panels over the roofs of the farm hangers and sell the power generated from the installation at higher costs pre-fixed by the government for extra income. The solar tariffs protected for a period of 20 years have helped the farmers to take loans from banks to pay for the solar installation and to earn untroubled income for a number of years after completing the loan repayment.
Source: http://www.gdfsuez.com/