Xavier Delommez: farmer and ... electricity producer
Coming from a reasonable agriculture, Xavier Delommez, forty-seven years old, installed in Vicq since 1982, regularly points out by the initiatives he takes, in his exploitation, in favor of sustainable development. Latest in date: he took advantage of the reconstruction of a hangar to acquire a photovoltaic power plant.
"Become an electricity producer," said the advertisement. Xavier Delommez convinced himself to do so when the purchase price by ERDF went from 0,15 to 0,60 E per kilowatt. The farmer called on two craftsmen from the village: the roofer Michaël Cazin and the electrician Hervé Damien. The latter has already installed photovoltaic panels in a refuge in Haute-Savoie, at an altitude of 2 m. The plant was installed last week. The panels (000 m²) cover the south-facing side, with a roof slope of 280% "to get the rays of spring and those of autumn".
Expected production: 34 peak watt (*), equivalent to the consumption of eleven homes excluding heating. Xavier Delommez is required to put this electricity on the network for twenty years. After only, he can produce it for his own consumption. And it takes ten to fifteen years for full financial depreciation, depending on the amount of sunshine recorded in the year. The panels, themselves, have a lifespan estimated by their supplier at twenty-five years, with a yield of 000%.
Xavier Delommez does not hide the fact that he was almost discouraged. The investment has been largely financed since June 2008 and the building permit was deposited in November of the same year, while connection to the network will only take place in January. And it will still have to wait six months before receiving the first income. Revenues which will be integrated into those of operations, provided that they do not exceed 30% of its turnover. "Individuals find more advantages than companies with photovoltaics," he observes.
But man defines himself as "follower of econology: making economy with ecology". Of the 94 hectares he cultivates, a third (cereals, protein crops) are used to feed his pig farming. For four years, he has not turned his soil over: "I increase the population of earthworms, the CO2 remains trapped by the roots and I find the meadow effect which retains water during heavy rains. He runs the boiler in his house with cereals and the engine of his tractor with rapeseed oil. By "arbitrating" always according to the price.
Between grain and wood. Between rapeseed oil and fuel oil. “With the carbon tax, I can see the rapeseed press coming back up to date.
"Word of econologist. •
(*) Unit used for photovoltaic solar.
Source: http://www.lavoixdunord.fr/Locales/Vale ... et-p.shtml