Take a break on the solar bench – but not for too long

Engie has raised eyebrows with the installation of several solar benches in Biarritz, southwestern France, as a local official has asked citizens to avoid sitting on them for long periods of time in order to keep their energy yield up. But the authorities over in Cannes are clearly impressed, as the municipal government has also revealed plans to buy more of the PV benches, which are designed by Croatian startup Include.

Engie stole headlines in France last week after Guillaume Barucq, an official in the municipal government of Biarritz, tweeted his enthusiasm for a number of solar benches the power group had installed in the small coastal city.

Amusingly, Barucq also urged citizens not to sit on the benches for long periods of time, on concerns that seated bottoms could reduce their energy yield. His comments were quickly mocked by dozens of social media users.

But what is the purpose of the benches if nobody is able to sit on them? Weighing 170 kg, with 160 W of power, they include a 55 Ah battery and – via three USB outputs, an inductive charger and wifi transmitter – can recharge mobile phones and provide access to the internet.

In a later tweet, Engie justified the design of the benches by placing them within the context of the global eco-responsibility agenda the G-7 nations plan to push at their upcoming summit in Biarritz. The company has also confirmed to pv magazine that the benches have already been set up in countries with stronger solar resources, such as the United Arab Emirates.

Five more solar benches in Cannes

The municipality of Cannes also recently installed solar benches as part of its Smart City project, which aims to develop new technologies that improve the local quality of life. The authorities acquired three solar benches in 2018 and two new ones earlier this month.

Designed by Include, a Croatian startup, the Steora benches in Cannes have thus far been spared the derision seen in Biarritz. In fact, on the Cannes municipal government website, the mayor has praised the benches for their design, comfort and additional features.

Include’s Steora smart benches provide wifi access and feature chargers for mobile devices, via USB ports and induction surfaces. “All Steora models have the same PV modules, device charging, wifi, ambient light, data collection, cooling system and dashboard,” Include says.

However, the company claims that the benches can produce energy even when they are shaded. “The advanced controller inside the bench allows the charging of the battery even when the photovoltaic modules are not exposed in direct sunlight, while users are sitting,” it said.

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