How Photosol Cut Site Prospecting and Analysis Time by 83% With Glint Solar

Photosol is one of France's leading solar producers, with close to 900 MWp in operation and 4.3 GWp under development across France, Italy, and Poland. Since adopting Glint Solar, the company has cut its site prospecting and analysis time by over 83%, taking site evaluation from around 30 minutes down to 5 to 10 minutes, and cut project delays by 20%.

The Challenge

Photosol's ambition to lead in renewable energy ran into the everyday friction of early-stage development. The biggest drag was the data itself.

Site prospecting in France meant weighing multiple regulatory layers for every site, from grid connection and environmentally protected land to wet zones and forest areas. Each layer often lived on a different website, so a thorough analysis meant assembling data from a scattering of sources before any real evaluation could start.

That fragmentation carried into the projects too. Project and GIS data sat across separate tools and Excel files, which made it hard for teams to find what they needed or work from the same picture, especially with a portfolio spread across diverse regions.

As the company grew, two more pressures showed up. Onboarding new team members into these fragmented workflows took time the team wanted back, and site analysis stayed dependent on a small group of specialists. Photosol wanted a way for more of its people to evaluate sites, draw project layouts, and make changes independently, and a more professional way to visualize projects when negotiating with landowners.

Photosol came across Glint Solar at Intersolar in 2023. The platform's layer library was tailored to what the team needed in France, and after meeting the team behind it, they saw a way to turn those challenges into an opportunity.

The Solution

Glint Solar gave Photosol a single place to work from, centralizing the project and GIS data that had been scattered across separate websites and tools. Instead of bouncing between geoportals to pull grid, environmental, and land constraints together, the team could assess a site in one view and stay aligned with France's regulatory requirements along the way.

With map-based filtering, Photosol could check site buildability against environmental and land constraints directly in the platform. Preliminary design tools got teams to accurate project layouts quickly, and because the interface was simple enough for non-specialists, more people across the business could evaluate and shortlist sites without routing everything through a small group of experts.

For landowner conversations, 3D visualization gave Photosol a clearer, more professional way to present projects and bring stakeholders on board early.

"With Glint Solar, we've transformed our site analysis to a swift 5 to 10 minute process, drastically improving our speed and efficiency. We've also cut project delays by 20%, allowing us to accelerate our development pipeline and focus on what truly matters, delivering quality projects faster than ever."

— Jean Chartier, Photovoltaic Development Manager, France, Photosol

The Results

Site analysis time cut by over 83%

With Glint Solar's site analysis tools, Photosol brought site prospecting and analysis down from around 30 minutes per site to just 5 to 10 minutes. That's more than an 83% gain in efficiency, so the team can evaluate more sites in less time and move projects forward faster.

Faster decisions on land

Better communication between teams meant quicker decisions at critical project milestones. Core decisions still rest on internal business plans and economic data, but improved alignment made it faster to decide whether to keep pursuing a site or stop, cutting delays and keeping projects moving.

20% fewer project delays through better collaboration

Working from one source of truth, Photosol improved alignment across teams, regions, and stakeholders. That translated into a 20% reduction in project delays and smoother project execution.

Stronger stakeholder confidence

Professional 3D visualizations raised the quality of Photosol's project proposals. Landowners and stakeholders responded to the clarity, which helped move land acquisition negotiations toward a yes.

Looking ahead, Photosol is set for continued growth, with Glint Solar as a key partner. As the company moves into new markets such as Spain and Italy, it plans to use the platform's site data and analytics to navigate new landscapes and act on emerging opportunities faster.

About Photosol

Founded in 2008, Photosol is one of France's leading solar energy producers, with close to 900 MWp in operation and 4.3 GWp under development in France and internationally. The company specializes in ground installations, including agrivoltaics and projects on degraded land, large agricultural and commercial roofs, and parking canopies, developing projects that create value for local communities and for the regions it works in.

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