Solice: French leader in the construction and renovation of heating systems

Founded in 1979, Solice is a French leader in the construction and renovation of district heating and cooling systems. This market is an important vector in advancing the energy transition and benefits from highly favourable regulations in France. These factors give Solice a key role in the pathway towards building a greener energy mix in district heating systems.

A full range of products and services renowned locally for their quality

With a portfolio of strong, recognised customers in the market, Solice is a vertically integrated player supplying pre-insulated pipes for district heating network operators. Through its entity Inpal, it manufactures these pipes for fluid transport, while its subsidiary Wannitube provides engineering and site supervision expertise.

Inpal is now a leader in pre-insulated pipes, and France’s only manufacturer. Its market share of over 30% makes the company a key contender in the sector.
Wannitube, another Group subsidiary, is the French leader in the installation of pre-insulated networks for transporting thermal fluids (heating, hot water, chilled and glycol-cooled water, and other fluids).
Construction works and installation are contracted out to other companies, unless Wannipose covers these phases.

Solice is active across the entire value chain, from pre-project study and design, to component manufacturing, construction works and installation, as well as operation, maintenance and renovation of the district networks.

A market with a future

Under its law on the energy transition for green growth, France plans to increase the production of heat from renewable sources five-fold over the next 15 years. This market is an important vector in the energy transition. Moreover, policymakers support the development of district heating networks, with substantial financial and tax incentives on the way, as well as ambitious regulatory targets.
High barriers to entry (industrial site, references and brand recognition) guarantee Solice’s positioning long into the future.

Having grown steadily since 2014, heating and cooling systems still enjoy strong development potential. In France, the connection rate is 6% compared with an average of 13% elsewhere in Europe. That spells out a bright outlook for the sector, with heat deliveries that could increase up to five times the current amount over the next few years.