BPCE Equipment Solutions supports companies in their sustainable transformation!

If you are a service provider, project developer, manufacturer looking for financial solutions to support your business, or a company willing to invest or lease assets to make your activities more resilient & sustainable, we would be glad to help you.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, invasion of Ukraine, increase of environmental pressures, multiplication of cyberattacks and ongoing instability in some oil and gas-producing regions, many companies need investing in equipment & solutions to strengthen their resiliency!

A study released by Solar Power Europe last April[1] reveals that harnessing sunlight for energy has saved Europe more than €110 million per day (between March 1 and 17), resulting in total savings of more than €3.7 billion for the sole month of March.

The commercial and industrial (C&I) segment is seen particularly suitable for the deployment of systems that allow self-generation and self-consumption of solar energy. Indeed, the C&I market usually benefits from large available surfaces (roof, parking) with load profiles that often coincide with the moment when solar energy is available.

At BPCE Equipment Solutions, we support investments in sustainable equipment and solutions that help companies in decarbonizing their activities and in being more resilient worldwide by:

• Providing various financing solutions for the acquisition or leasing of different types of assets (photovoltaic systems, battery energy storage, chargers for electric vehicle, e-trucks, energy management systems…).
• Supporting the geographical business expansion of our customers thanks to our international presence and partners. 
• Allowing the optimization of capital expenditure by splitting non-core business expenses over long-term periods, including expenses that allow our customers to comply with regulatory drivers.

At the European level, various regulatory measures support more resilient & sustainable practices such as the development of renewable energies and the electrification of transportation:

For example, the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) requires Member States to ensure the deployment of solar energy installations (if technically and economically feasible):

a) On all new public and non-residential buildings with a usable floor area of more than 250 m by 31 December 2026 at the latest

b) On all existing public buildings with a usable floor area greater than:

• (i) 2,000 m² by 31 December 2027 at the latest
• (ii) 750 m² by 31 December 2028
• (iii) 250 m² by 31 December 2030.

c) On existing non-residential buildings with a usable floor area of more than 500m², when the building undergoes a major renovation or an action requiring an administrative permit for building renovations, roof work or the installation of a building technical system by 31 December 2027 at the latest.

The EPBD has also introduced obligations to install charging stations on certain types of non-residential car parks. For example, Member States must ensure the installation of at least one recharging point for every 10 car parking spaces or connection infrastructure on all non-residential buildings with more than 20 car parking spaces by 1 January 2027 at the latest.

In addition, the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) supports the deployment of charging infrastructure on the road. It requires for example the deployment of at least one fast-charging station every 60 km on major roads by the end of 2025 (for light vehicles) and the end of 2030 (for heavy vehicles), as well as the deployment of heavy-duty vehicle charging points in safe and secure parking areas and in urban nodes.

The AFIR Delegated Acts have in addition established technical specifications and timelines shaping how Charge Point Operators (CPOs) and eMobility Service Provider (eMSPs) must share data and ensure interoperability across Europe. This included new charging-station density targets, mandatory data-sharing requirements, and updated technical requirements for interoperability, such as the international standard ISO 15118.

The Renewable Energy Directive (RED) revised in 2023 paves the way for smarter charging functionalities and bi-directional recharging functionalities. Its article 20a for example requires Member States to ensure that manufacturers of domestic and industrial batteries enable real-time access to basic battery management system information to battery owners and users, as well as to third parties acting, with explicit consent, on the owners’ and users’ behalf in accordance with the data protection rules. The notice on battery-related data sharing released in 2025 should support EU countries in adopting a uniform approach including in terms of means used for data exchange. 

It is also important to keep in mind that each country and local jurisdictions may implement measures to support more sustainable & resilient activities that go beyond EU requirements.

Do you know what is the OCPP? The Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) is an open communication standard for electric vehicle charging stations and charging station management systems. It defines how charging points and central management systems exchange information, enabling interoperability between hardware and software from different vendors.   Originally developed in 2009 to address vendor interoperability challenges, OCPP has evolved to provide a unified framework for authentication, billing, remote management, and advanced smart charging capabilities, eliminating vendor lock-in and enabling infrastructure scalability across diverse markets. Its regional adoption varies significantly based on regulatory frameworks, with Europe leading adoption at approximately 85% penetration, while North America show rapidly accelerating integration driven by government mandates (incl. for public funded charging stations).​   Its latest version (OCPP 2.1) released in January 2025, includes distributed energy resources control and vehicle-to-grid capabilities.