By offering solar energy as a service, SunLib is shining from its base in Aix-en-Provence

A new business model recently introduced in France is making solar panels more accessible

SunLib, the first French company to import the successful subscription-based solar power model, was co-founded in June 2024 in Aix-en-Provence by Arnaud Langlois, Karine Lienhard, Philippe Ramès, and Benjamin May. Its goal is to have 100 000 solar panel subscriptions in France by 2029. Provence Promotion is supporting the growth of this ambitious greentech company, which targets both the consumer and business markets.

With an approach to solar panels that is as simple as it is revolutionary, SunLib is aiming to democratise solar power by offering installations using a monthly subscription system for businesses and private individuals. “We are the first company in France to offer this service, which is inspired by models being used in the United States and Northern Europe. For a monthly subscription over a 25-year period, customers benefit from a turnkey installation with no downpayment, while their electricity bill is reduced by 10 to 15% after the subscription fees are paid. This model eliminates the financial and logistical barriers that prevent many French households from taking the leap into solar energy,” explains Arnaud Langlois, the president and co-founder of SunLib.

The stakeholders in SunLib are part of a generation of business leaders who no longer automatically assume Paris is the best place for their company headquarters. They instead decided Aix-en-Provence was the perfect location for the SunLib offices and its first ten employees. Beyond the generous amount of sunshine in Provence, the Aix-Marseille territory was highly appealing to SunLib because of the thriving economic landscape, the green tech ecosystem in the Plateau de l’Arbois zone near Aix-en-Provence, and the wide-ranging support available to help companies set up and develop their business.

“As an entrepreneur, it’s great to be listened to.”

“We are planning to recruit 15 more employees, professionals capable of designing solar power panel projects for the residential sector, as well as for hotels, healthcare establishments, and agricultural buildings,” adds Arnaud Langlois. “We’re aiming for 3000 customers by the end of 2025 and 100 000 by 2029.”

In a few months, SunLib will be moving into new offices in the La Duranne neighbourhood of Aix-en-Provence, which is quickly becoming a stronghold for Provencal start-ups, including several that have already made international names for themselves at the CES consumer technology show in Las Vegas.

SunLib’s growth has been supported by Provence Promotion and its partners, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Aix-Marseille Provence and the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis. “We were able to discuss financing policies. The green tech ecosystem is attractive. As an entrepreneur, it’s great to be listened to. Provence Promotion helped us by making it easier for us to set up,” says Arnaud Langlois, who lived in London until 2023.

To install and maintain the solar panels, SunLib relies on a network of independent contractors. By the end of the year, the company plans to develop a platform for monitoring solar panel installations and to launch an application for optimising energy expenditure. The future is bright for the company when considering that only 3% of potential rooftop space is currently equipped with solar panels in France compared to 10% of the rooftop space in Germany.