Preparing for the future means developing expertise in renewable sources of energy. Twenty years ago, we created Total Energie to demonstrate our commitment to deploying real-world applications for renewable energies. We have gradually stepped up our initiatives, mainly in the areas of solar power.

Photovoltaic Solar Power

Total's first foray into solar energy dates back to 20 years with the creation, in 2003 of Total Energie. Since Mai 2005, the company is now known as Tenesol. Tenesol, a joint subsidiary of Total and national utility Electricité de France (EDF), is based near Lyon. Its development is supported by a network of 15 subsidiaries, located mainly in France’s overseas departments and territories, West Africa, Madagascar and Germany.

Using solar panels manufactured mainly in its Capetown factury in South Africa (production capacity of 35 MW-peak) and in its Toulouse factory in France (capacity of 15 MW-peak), Tenesol assembles, distributes, installs and maintains equipment used to generate photovoltaic energy. The company focuses on pumping, business applications, isolated systems and grid connection, especially in Germany.
 
We are also a founding partner in Photovoltech, in which we have a 47.8% interest, alongside Electrabel and IMEC. The company has begun producing high-efficiency, polycrystalline silicon-based solar cells in November 2003 at a plant in Tienen, Belgium. Owing to market growth and Photovoltech's quallity products the production capacity of the company's plant has been increased to 22 MW-peak at the end of 2006, and to 80 MW-peak late in 2007. Photovoltech anticipates to increase its overall production capacity to 140 MW-peak by the end of 2009.

Total is also currently involved in three decentralized rural electrification programs in isolated regions that are helping to improve the daily lives of people without access to the power grid:

• In Mali, Korayé Kurumba (Total, 30%), a company specialized in decentralized service, operates decentralized power micro-networks and individual solar photovoltaic kits, with 550 customers at the end of 2007. 5,000 additional clients should be equipped by the end of 2009
  
• In Morocco, Temasol, a RESCO held by Tenesol (35.6%), EDF (32.2%) and Total Maroc (32.2%) is pursuing its development to install photovoltaic solar power systems that will supply lighting and power for domestic appliances. Projects awarded to Temesol pursuant to the bidding processes in 2002, 2004 and 2005 from Morocco's Office National de l'Electricité (ONE), increased the number of households to be equipped to 58,500. ( 25,5000 households were equipped by the end of 2007).
  
  
• In South Africa, KES (Kwazulu Energy Services Company), of which Total owns 35%, launched an initial program in the Kwazulu-Natal province in 2002. At the end of 2007, approximately 8,500 individual systems were equipped with solar power. On July 17, 2007, KES signed an agreement with the South African Department of Energy to implement an extension program in the neighboring Eastern Cape province. This new program is designed to supply over 26,000 rural households with solar power and gas and over 400 schools with power.