Marseilles – a city captures the sun

Marseilles wants to become one of the main suppliers of solar power in France. Above all public buildings are gradually being equipped with solar systems.

The sun shines on an average of 300 days a year in Marseilles. The largest French port is using this potential for eco-friendly power production: In the port, most of the building roofs are now equipped with solar systems – this has already occurred on a total area of 100,000 square meters.  The city plans to install solar collectors on a further 160 public buildings such as schools and sports facilities. By the end of 2012 Marseilles will have equipped 150,000 square meters of roof area with solar systems – more than any other city in France. Electricity produced in this way covers the annual power needs of 7,000 households.

Green neighborhood

In the north of Marseilles, an almost 170-hectare eco-district is emerging with new residential and business premises, bike paths and green areas. Construction companies and builders have signed a quality charter for this district. They are committed, among other things, to using ecological materials and planning houses that save energy. Rain water is to be used to irrigate the green areas.

On the road to the eco-city

In the long term, Marseilles is not only planning to implement an ecological district, but also to make the entire city greener. The project “Écocité” has already begun. Thus highway 55, which goes through Marseilles, was routed through a one-kilometer-long tunnel at a central section of the coast. As with the three planned highway covers in Hamburg, this will create new space for green areas and a better quality of life.

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