Les Chapelles | Boralex

17,4 MWc Production
13,1 hectares Area
8 500 inhabitants Supplied with electricity
26 700 Solar panels
150 tons of CO2 Avoided annually

Technical data

Site technologyGround-mounted solar array, degraded, uncultivated site
Panel technologyFixed Pannels

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Project Details

The “Les Chapelles” solar project is located in the municipality of Marcilly-en-Villette, in the Loiret department, approximately 20 km southeast of Orléans. The study area covers 24 ha of nearly flat land, currently occupied by fallow meadows and crops grown for game.

The site, easily accessible from the RD 921, has historically been marred by waste and fill material, which have permanently degraded its agricultural and environmental qualities. The area selected for the project will redevelop approximately 13 ha of abandoned, undeveloped land with a 17.4 MWp fixed photovoltaic power plant.

Project Stakeholders

The project is being developed by Boralex in collaboration with the municipality of Marcilly-en-Villette, the Portes de Sologne Community of Municipalities, the Loiret Chamber of Agriculture, state agencies, and SDIS45. Local consultation began in September 2023.

The community council issued a favorable opinion on May 27, 2025, and the municipal council did so on July 9, 2025, subject, in particular, to compliance with the project’s non-land-altering nature, agricultural and environmental recommendations, and grid connection capacity. Additionally, the site was designated as a renewable energy acceleration zone by the municipality on December 1, 2023.

Project's Challenges

The main issues concern the following areas:

Agriculture: The Loiret Chamber of Agriculture has confirmed that the land is uncultivated, and the site is listed in the departmental framework document approved on June 18, 2025.
Ecological: Flora and fauna surveys conducted over four seasons have allowed for the largely avoidance of sensitive hedgerows and wetlands. The project also calls for the restoration of 3.5 ha of functional wet meadows to enhance the ecological and hydrological functions of the project site.
Landscape: Visual integration is a major challenge for the project. To facilitate its integration into the landscape, the project calls for the planting of a landscape hedge along the western boundary, the preservation of the existing hedge along the RD921, and the placement of the photovoltaic installations set back from the departmental road.
Urban Planning: The project is located in an agricultural zone under the Marcilly-en-Villette Local Urban Planning (PLU) plan, where public infrastructure—including ground-mounted photovoltaic power plants—is permitted. It also meets the criteria of the decree of December 29, 2023, allowing it to be exempt from the requirement to preserve natural, agricultural, and forested areas (ENAF), thanks to the preservation of soil permeability and vegetation cover, as well as the site’s lack of productive agricultural use.