Yanmar bets on solar energy

Often presented as one of the flagships of the Bragard industrial fabric, Yanmar is now showing its eco-friendly card. In fact, the mini-excavator manufacturer has just put into operation some 1,200 m² photovoltaic panels installed in the large car park where employees park. “We want to give a green image”indicates Stéphane Lampaert, director of operations.

“We want to give a green image”

The idea began two years ago and became a reality last month. “Our goal is carbon neutrality by 2050”continues the director. It was not necessary to modify the parking lot for employees, the location allowing the solar panels to be positioned facing south. However, the economic aspect should not be neglected either. The electricity produced is used for the operation of the Tambourine site. The objective is to save at least 10% of the annual cost of electricity, depending on the brightness recorded over the year.

Second tranche

Thus, the return on investment is estimated between 8 and 10 years. “The main factor that we cannot control remains the fluctuating cost of electricity,” underlines Stéphane Lampaert. The mechanical equipment manufacturer has invested in all these production sites to cope with the various energy crises. The Tambourine site has a power of 3,200 kW for an annual consumption of 3,247 MwH. The power of the solar panels, for its part, is around 252 kWp. “This project follows other actions launched over the past three years,” explains Yanmar. All of them aim to reduce energy bills, “particularly with the change in technology for compressors and improvements in air and smoke extraction systems”we specify on the Tambourine side. At the same time, a shared self-consumption agreement is being established with other companies in the Trois Fontaines industrial zone in order to valorize surplus production. The installation of a second unit is now planned for 2026.