Customer story: a B&B switches to balcony solar with 1,760 W

At Sunflower Solar, nothing makes us happier than seeing our kits come to life at our customers' homes. Today we head to the Auvergne, in the heart of the Massif du Sancy: Agnès and Pascal, who run the Le Balad'Où B&B in La Bourboule, have just fitted their house with a genuine 1,760 W balcony solar power station. Here is a look back at a simple, fast project that is already highly productive.

The starting point: a large unused balcony and bills to cut

Le Balad'Où is a renovated family home set in full sun on the south-facing slope of the Dordogne valley. In front of the house lies a large terrace with a panoramic view over the valley, edged by a long south-facing railing that until now served no purpose at all.

Like many hosts, Agnès and Pascal saw their energy costs weighing on their business: rooms and bathrooms to heat and light, homemade breakfasts, laundry, wifi for guests working remotely... Their goal was twofold: become more energy independent and reduce their electricity bills, without taking on major roof works.

Why the Sunflower Solar balcony kit?

After a quick chat with our team to check the exposure and layout of their balcony, the plug and play balcony solar kit stood out as the ideal choice, for three reasons:

• Power: with 8 panels of 220 W, 1,760 W in total, the installation covers a good share of the house's daytime consumption.
• Light weight: the panels attach directly to the existing railing, without weighing down the structure or requiring any reinforcement or building work.
• Discretion: lined up along the balustrade, the black panels blend into the façade. Guests enjoy the terrace and the view just as before, without being disturbed.

Installed in a single afternoon

That is the whole point of plug and play: Agnès and Pascal installed their 8 panels themselves in a single afternoon. Fixing them to the railing, connecting the microinverters, plugging into a socket, then linking everything to the app to follow production in real time. No electrician, no scaffolding, no roof work.

The 8 Sunflower Solar panels lined up along the terrace railing at Le Balad'Où, facing the valley.

Results from day one

The installation was commissioned on 21 September 2026. By the very next day, the app was showing a lovely bell-shaped production curve: output starting around 8 am, a peak of more than 1,300 W around midday, then steady production until late afternoon.

Production on 22 September 2026 in the app: 1.8 kWp installed and a peak of more than 1,300 W around midday.

This production comes at the best possible time for a B&B: during the day, when the sheets and towels are in the wash and the rooms are being prepared for the next guests. Every kilowatt-hour produced on the balcony is used on site and no longer bought from the grid.

Le Balad'Où, a place to discover in the Sancy

Le Balad'Où is the first B&B equipped with a complete balcony solar power station. But above all, it is a warm and welcoming place to stay. Agnès and Pascal, both born and raised in the Massif du Sancy, welcome visitors in two rooms with different atmospheres, with a homemade breakfast included, a large terrace with a 180° view over the valley, a big garden and even an electric car charging spot. Hikers (the GR 30 and the Sancy loop pass less than a kilometre away), cyclists, skiers and nature lovers will find it the perfect base, and one partly powered by the sun. To book your stay, visit the Le Balad'Où B&B website.

What about you?

Holiday cottage, B&B, or a home with a large balcony or a well-exposed terrace: if you too want to cut your bills and become more self-sufficient, contact our team. We will check your balcony's layout with you and help you choose the most suitable kit.