Sunbooster, co-founded by Grégory Boutteau, Pierrick Morier (President of Volta Group) and François Piot (President of PAP Solar), has recently raised funding from three committed investors. Expanso Capital (the investment subsidiary of Caisse d’Epargne Aquitaine Poitou-Charentes) from which Sunbooster had already raised €1 million in 2019, Aquiti Gestion, a key player in private equity in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, and Alter Equity3P II, the French pioneer of impact investing.
This fundraising will allow the start-up to consolidate its disruptive innovation in the solar energy value chain. In fact, Sunbooster is currently the only French company offering a technology that creates a thermal protection barrier for solar panels through the use of rainwater. This system improves the annual energy production of the panels by around 10% p.a. and also guarantees the longevity of the solar power plant. It doesn't risk degrading the panels and is perfectly safe for the equipped site. Rainwater, collected by and stored in a cistern, is pumped into pipes at the top of the panels. As it streams down the photovoltaic panels in laminar flow, it will immediately cool and clean the cells. Adrien Lebon, Aquiti Gestion, stated: “We are happy to be joining Sunbooster’s venture which is helping tackle current climate and energy challenges by optimizing the yield of solar power plants with a simple and sustainable solution for cleaning photovoltaic panels using rainwater.”
Initial fundraising in 2019 allowed Sunbooster to expand R&D, recruit 7 employees and, thanks to the efficient process, install a number of systems at plants. The solution has evolved from one standard system for each photovoltaic power plant to a tailor-made system based on a semi-industrial process. “We are proud to be stepping up our support for Sunbooster, enabling them to accelerate their expansion. This company meets all of our requirements – a strong local base coupled with a strong national and international outlook, and a genuinely sustainable approach: decarbonized electricity production; optimization of existing facilities in order to preserve land; and a truly ecological approach”, explained François Lafont of Expanso Capital. From now on, the cooling systems are prepared and pre-assembled in Sunbooster’s facility in Southwest France, improving installation procedures and times.
A dynamic roll-out
To facilitate faster growth, Sunbooster now offers ready-to-install kits for both existing and new power plants. The company also intends to cater for specific needs, depending on the power plants location. For example, conditions of extreme heat and/or exposure to excessive dirt call for specific adjustments. The system also needs to be adapted to the requirements of client's industries (agriculture, manufacturing, etc.). Furthermore, Sunbooster meets the guidelines set by the fire departments by reserving a certain quantity of water in case necessary.
Technical solutions for automation and supervision
Sunbooster’s teams have invested significantly in the improvement and optimization of the Automation function and the many applications associated with the system. They have also developed applications for remote supervision and monitoring of the installations, enabling them to operate both in France and abroad.
