This chef managed to save 10,000 euros on electricity thanks to this technique

Bruno Oger is a chef who is committed to making his establishment evolve, and not just on the plate. The 2000 Chef of the Year, awarded four toques for La Villa Archange in Le Cannet, has recently implemented a number of solutions to reduce his establishment's carbon footprint and move with the times. His latest major project? The installation of 200 photovoltaic panels, to provide more than half the energy required by its two restaurants.

Water, waste and electricity

Bruno Oger didn't install these panels on a whim, but after careful consideration of the energy-hungry activities of a place like La Villa Archange. "We started asking ourselves questions a few years ago about automatic watering, as we were consuming a lot of water in a region where there are more and more restrictions. We switched to drip irrigation and now have a high-quality synthetic turf. We then worked on waste treatment by investing in a dehydrator. Finally, the question of electrical energy naturally came up, not only for environmental reasons, but also because of the cost, electricity for professionals being billed three times more expensive than for private individuals", adds the chef.

Bruno Oger, based in a particularly sunny region, decided to invest €150,000 in the installation of 200 photovoltaic panels. "The difficulty lay in the fact that we're in a listed building. But I approached the municipality and the Architectes des Bâtiments de France, and we got their approval, as the project seemed interesting given the current economic climate", explains the chef.

The panels were installed on the pergolas and parking lots of La Villa Archange, between the beginning of 2024 and the end of summer. Although Bruno Oger has little experience of this investment, he is confident that it will pay for itself within seven years. "In just a few months, we've already saved €10,000 on our electricity bill. I have an app that allows me to track production peaks, and I think that next year these savings will already double."

Also, on days when the store is closed, "the production of the panels is enormous compared to consumption. Finally, Bruno Oger and his teams now carry out the most energy-intensive tasks, such as cleaning the ovens, when the panels are at their most productive. An example that restaurateurs in France's sunniest regions should be quick to follow.