Soltea puts solar energy at the service of decarbonization

Vincent Nicolas is a surfer. Initially a salesman in the written press, notably at “Sud Ouest”, he admits to having quickly become sensitive to the environmental issue by working in the middle of the ocean. The fight against aquatic pollution, recycling and global warming are all concerns that motivate him to change career paths and move towards renewable energies.

Heading towards solar, at the beginning of photovoltaic development. “Many companies were starting up in this field, I was inspired by what was being done in Germany, and I brought my global market experience to create Soltea,” he recalls.

We are in 2008. Very quickly, he chose to favor the professional market rather than installations in private homes. Particularly the agricultural sector. “For many farmers, solar power equips their work tools, it allows them to self-finance their building. They trust us,” recognizes Vincent Nicolas. Today, agricultural operations constitute a large part of its activity, but Soltea is also interested in companies in the commercial and industrial sector.

Green electrons

Faced with the competition, it stands out by offering its customers a global decarbonization offer, rather than simple solar equipment. Concretely, it is trying to see how to exploit and consume the electricity produced in a short circuit, instead of distributing it to an electricity supplier via an obligation to purchase contract.

“The main thing is to know the correct electricity and energy consumption measurements of the company upstream, and to see, in its CSR approach, how to equip, for example, its parking lot with electrical terminals for its staff and encourage people to have an electric vehicle, or photovoltaic shades. The idea is to produce and use green electrons on site rather than selling them,” explains the founder of Soltea.

The approach is attractive. So much so that it caught the eye of the Butagaz group and became its first solar subsidiary in 2021. In sixteen years, Soltea has carried out more than 2,000 installations, and its turnover will exceed 20 million euros in 2024.

Cramped on its historic site in Bidart, it plans to expand, with its forty employees, in Hastingues, in a building of 2,500 m², including 1,700 m² devoted to logistics. “We are in full growth, we must control it and secure it to take a new step,” says Vincent Nicolas cautiously.