The department’s solar lot system is off to a flying start

At the gates of Figeac, in the commune of Planioles, the beautiful house of Mr and Mrs Oprita takes full advantage of the summer sun. In recent weeks, solar panels have been discreetly installed on the roof to power the brand new water heater. “In this weather, it’s perfect for our hot water consumption. We also had a heat pump installed, which will take over in the autumn», tell the owners of Romanian origin who have recently arrived in the Lot, after having lived in the West Indies. They are the first to benefit from the exceptional aid released by the Department – a budget of one million euros – the purpose of which is to relaunch the development of solar systems in private homes.

More than 170 aid applications submitted

To greet the promising launch of this operation called “Solar lot”, the president of the Department, Serge Rigal accompanied by Catherine Marlas, vice president in charge of ecological and energy transition and housing and by Marie-France Colomb, departmental councilor of Figeacois, made the trip to their home on Monday. “This is the first result of our program. We have already validated seven installations. We have many requests, more than 170 contacts already taken. It’s a good start. What is good for us is to see that the requests are well distributed throughout the department,” says Serge Rigal, who symbolically handed over a check for 2,000 euros to the Oprita couple.
A boost appreciated by these owners who were also able to count on an aid of almost 4,000 euros from the State disbursed as part of the “My renovation bonus” on a total project of 8,000 euros. At their side, the entrepreneur, professional with the Solar Lot brand, who took care of the installation of their solar water heater, testifies to the importance of this incentive. “It should be mandatory. It is an indestructible product with the only constraint being exposure. We currently have far fewer requests for solar water heaters, but on the other hand we receive requests every day for the installation of a heat pump,” says Christian Boudot, head of the company Thermi Service. The couple is already thinking about continuing their investments, focusing soon on photovoltaic panels and the purchase of an electric car to be completely autonomous. “You are a good solar ambassador,” congratulated Serge Rigal, president of the Lot department, determined to speed up the region’s transition.
To help Lot residents promote their project, a solar cadastre is available online. Simply by entering your address, you can measure the solar potential of your roof and estimate the indicative cost of the work. The “Lotto Solaire” system is part of the commitment of the Lotto A Venir mandate project, which aims to build the Lotto with positive energy by 2050: doubling the production of renewable energy and reducing consumption by 40%.