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With attractive feed-in tariffs for BIPV systems in France, a 205 kilowatt, 1,000 plus module system using Sputnik Engineering AG converters has been commissioned at a chicken farm in Bretagne, France the second largest of its kind in the region.

French system supplier Solar Diffusion undertook the project and  installed transformerless central converters of the new S series with capacities of 20 and 35 kilowatts. The devices were said to obtain a maximum efficiency of up to 96.8 percent and weigh only 98 and 125 kilograms respectively.

"As a second source of income, photovoltaics is ideal for farmers," said Daniel Bellanger, the managing director of Solar Diffusion. "The installation here in Lassay is the second largest of its type in Bretagne and a good example of how a farmer can improve his income by using solar power."

The operators monitor the system with Sputnik's internet-based data logger MaxWeb and MaxControl systems. The tariff currently paid for power fed into the grid is 60 euro-cents for every kilowatt hour.