Solar, water and biodiversity: the three-in-one Ombre’o solution
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A shade canopy that does far more than cast a shadow: this VINCI Energies solution is simultaneously global and bespoke, dedicated to enhancing ecological performance in outdoor spaces.
Plants or panels? Rainproofing or shade? To store rainwater or let it soak into the ground? Environmental performance in outdoor spaces has long been reduced to a series of binary choices. Why not expand the horizon of possibilities with multifunctional developments capable of generating solar energy, collecting and reusing water, and enhancing biodiversity?
This is the path VINCI Energies has chosen. “The need to accelerate the ecological and energy transitions calls for a broader vision,” says Sarah El-Hadjadj, Business Development Manager at VINCI Energies. “We can not only simultaneously optimise solar potential, conserve water and promote biodiversity, but ‘thinking global’ also enables us to improve the performance of each function.”
VINCI Energies has designed a solution that is simultaneously global and bespoke, known as Ombre’o, which features a range of technologies to choose from. “We offer the owners, operators and tenants of commercial sites solutions tailored to their environment, based on an audit combining expertise from VINCI Energies and VINCI Construction,” explains Sarah El‑Hadjadj.
“The need to accelerate the ecological and energy transitions calls for broader vision.”
The cornerstone of this solution is a solar shade canopy, to which a rainwater collection system, run-off ditches, swales, rainwater gardens, etc. can be added.
Diagnostics, engineering and ROI
The Ombre’o solution includes end-to-end project support: forecasting water conditions and potential risks, soil permeability, engineering, water-consumption management and optimisation, leak detection, non-conventional water reuse, ecosystem management, structuring finance and seeking subsidies, maintenance, and operation – not forgetting ROI.
One of the first businesses attracted to the solution was Siemens, which is developing two parking facilities in Alsace and opted for a solution that combines solar shade canopies, water storage and ground run-off. The project qualifies for water agency grants, which have covered the additional costs associated with water management features such as the installation of swales.
05/20/2026
