Bleu Vert joins Intel, Kohl's and Dell on list of companies using solar power, with two new solar PV plants at its headquarters

Many big name brands have undertaken the use of solar energy for powering facilities. Intel Corporation, Kohl's, Whole Foods, Dell and Johnson and Johnson are among the majors who utilize solar energy. Another company making an impact with solar power is Bleu Vert, the French natural cosmetics business.

Located near Avignon, France, the Bleu Vert headquarters have been home to two solar power plants since October of this year. The natural cosmetics wholesaler recently celebrated commissioning of the two solar power plants with 600 guests.

One plant generates a total of 101 kilowatts and the second produces a total of 2.69 kilowatts. Guests at the inauguration were able to ride a crane for a view above both PV plants. Swiss manufacturer, Sputnik, was responsible for developing three inverters, which direct the current into the alternating current used on the grid.

French corporation Groupement Photovoltaïque du Luberon (PV Luberon) installed the PV power plants. Solar power plants are only a portion of the sustainable architecture at the new Bleu Vert headquarters. The space and warehouse measure 1,900 square feet and includes a sewage treatment system for the building created as a wetland; and an environmentally friendly heat pump for enhanced heat recovery and a mild indoor climate.

The exterior is made of golden natural stone, and 7,000 square meters surrounding the facility includes a garden facility and pond for educational and demonstration purposes.

The company has incorporated monitors to regularly display the solar power that is generated and the energy consumed by the building. The two photovoltaic plants produce approximately 140,000 kilowatt hours of power a year.

"Our experience with Sputnik Engineering inverters has always been very good," says Gilles Flavien, managing director of PV Luberon. "Product quality, warranty coverage and technical support are all outstanding. And in our next major project, the winery ´Cave de Bonnieux`, we will also use Sputnik inverters."