News
Meridiam becomes the majority shareholder of Voltalis
26.10.2020
Meridiam is strengthening its industrial partnership initiated in 2017 with Voltalis, the European leader in demand-side flexibilities for residential and commercial buildings. On this occasion, Meridiam and Voltalis are proud to announce the strengthening of their ambitions, with the aim of equipping one million homes in France and Europe with Voltalis’ smart devices by 2024.
This increased ambition is supported by the European Investment Bank’s intervention in 2019 for the deployment of Voltalis solution in France and by the momentum generated by the recent European Clean Energy Package. It is a direct extension of the French government’s objective to see Demand Response play an increasing role in the security of supply of the electricity system and the energy transition. Meridiam thus confirms its ability to provide sustainable and effective solutions to individuals, housing sector stakeholders, local authorities and territories in favor of the energy transition.
The innovative solution proposed by Voltalis is entirely free of charge for the participants (smart devices, installation, digital services, maintenance and management of the platform). It optimises power consumption in real time and enables individuals to make significant savings on their bills by reducing their consumption by up to 15%. In addition to energy savings, this solution enables power consumers to directly contribute to the security and optimisation of the electrical system as well as to take concrete action for the environment. As a result, Voltalis is able to offer a CO2-neutral alternative to thermal power plants.
In France, the ambition is to multiply by five the number of homes equipped with Voltalis’ smart devices within the next three years (500,000 homes compared to 100,000 today). This solution is being made available to housing and regional authorities to enhance and complement the energy efficiency and renovation projects already underway. Voltalis is deploying its solution with the support of social landlords such as CDC Habitat, Podeliha, Maine-et-Loire Habitat, LogemLoiret and Domofrance, as well as numerous local authorities involved in the energy transition of their territory. Major partnerships will be announced very soon, notably with leading communities in the Grand Ouest and Savoie regions.
A renewed ambition: 1 million homes operated by 2024 in Europe and beyond, with 500,000 in France alone
In Europe, Meridiam and Voltalis aim to massively roll out this solution to 500,000 housing units and to rapidly develop a capacity of several thousand megawatts by 2024. Voltalis’ approach of supporting resilience of the electric system through demand and integrating renewable energies meets the challenges of most countries in Europe and around the world.
This support will also enable Voltalis to broaden the scope of use of its technical platform and to integrate new uses, particularly related to batteries, electric vehicles and solar self-consumption, and to enhance the services offered to consumers and electric systems alike.
“We are very pleased to strengthen our ties with Meridiam,” said Mathieu Bineau, Chief Executive Officer of Voltalis. “This is a strong signal, which once again demonstrates the advantages and interest of the innovative energy-saving solution we have developed. Based on a unique technological know-how and experience acquired through more than 10 years of daily operation and 100,000 equipped sites, Voltalis is today recognised as an essential component of the energy transition. And thanks to the trust of Meridiam, which shares our ambition to bring concrete solutions to consumers and housing stakeholders, we are now able to accelerate our development in the regions but also internationally.
Thierry Déau, CEO of Meridiam, said: “We are very pleased to be able to support the development of Voltalis, which puts technological innovation at the heart of tomorrow’s infrastructure. The resilience of electrical systems is one of the challenges of the energy transition and consumers have a key role to play in this respect. The solution provided by Voltalis is at the crossroads of several of our sustainable development priorities such as the fight against climate change, the creation of sustainable local jobs, and access to competitive clean energy. We will put this solution at the service of the territories and their inhabitants, willing to be at the heart of and actors in the ecological transition.”
Learn more about Voltalis
Voltalis, expert in energy efficiency for 14 years
Created in 2006, Voltalis is the pioneer in the diffuse erasure or wiping out of electricity consumption in Europe. Their ambition is to put technology at the service of the energy transition and to be a key link in this process. Their energy-saving solutions already equip more than 100,000 homes and make the electricity consumption of private individuals and companies more flexible and controllable, notably to the benefit of power system optimization and ecological transition. With Meridiam’s support today, they are taking action every day to create an eco-responsible future, consume better and make life easier for people and regions. Together, we are limiting our impact on the environment.