Solar power in France including overseas territories reached an installed capacity figure of 11.2 GW in 2020, and rose further to 17.1 GW at the end of 2022.[1][2] Government plans announced in 2022 foresee solar PV capacity in France rising to 100 GW by 2050.[3]

In January 2016, the President of France, François Hollande, and the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, laid the foundation stone for the headquarters of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in Gwalpahari, Gurgaon, India. The ISA will focus on promoting and developing solar energy and solar products for countries lying wholly or partially between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. The alliance of over 120 countries was announced at the Paris COP21 climate summit.[4] One of the hopes of the ISA is that wider deployment will reduce production and development costs, and thus facilitate increased deployment of solar technologies, including in poor and remote regions.

History

Cumulative PV capacity
in megawatt-peak (MWp) since 2000

2,500
5,000
7,500
10,000
12,500
15,000
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2019

Solar PV installations in France started being substantial only from around 2008. Between 2009 and 2011 PV capacity grew almost tenfold, from a relatively low level.

In its 2014 report "Global Market Outlook for Photovoltaics", the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) not only blames the French government for a lack of support, but also criticizes it for having "hastily freeze or reduce support mechanisms" for further photovoltaic deployment.[5] The EPIA also asserts that opposition from the conventional energy sector led to a negative image of PV technology in the public opinion. The French solar association SOLER urged the French government for more support and submitted a five-point plan in Spring 2014.[6]

Solar power in France continued growing steadily and reached a cumulative photovoltaic capacity of 6.6 GW by the end of 2015, producing 6.7 TWh of electricity during the year.[7] In 2015 France was the country with the seventh largest solar PV installed capacity in the world.[8] Around 903 MW of new installations were added during the year.[9]

In 2016, France was ranked 4th in the EU by installed capacity and 14th in terms of PV capacity by inhabitant at 107.3 Wp/Inhab compared to the EU average of 197.8 Wp/Inhab for the year. The country's largest completed solar park to date was the 300 MW Cestas Solar Park.[10] Approximately 560 MW of new installations were added during the year.[9]

In 2018, the state-owned company EDF had plans to invest up to €25 billion in PV power generation, and introduce green electricity tariffs; the plan is projected to "develop 30 gigawatt of solar capacity in France between 2020 and 2035".[11][12] Similarly, Total, the giant French oil and gas company, moved in 2021 toward more significant investment in solar with the purchase of a 20% stake in Adani Green Energy, one of the world's largest solar developers.[13]

A French law passed in 2023 will require parking lots larger than 50,000 square feet (4,600 m2) to build solar canopies covering half their area. This could result in installed capacity of 6.75–11.25 gigawatts, at a cost of $8.7–14.6 billion.[14]

Solar resource

Insolation map

The insolation in France ranges from 3 sun hours/day in the north to 5 sun hours/day in the south. The output of a solar array is a function of age, temperature, tilt, shading, tracking, and insolation.

Source: NREL[15]
Source: NREL[16]
Source: NREL[17]
Source: NREL[18]

Photovoltaic installations

PV capacity in watt-per-capita by region in 2013
  0–1 watt
  1–10 watts
  10–50 watts
  50–100 watts
  100–200 watts
  200–350 watts
  350–500 watts
Year endCapacity
(MWp)		Generation
(GWh)		Ref
2008104[19]
2009289[19][20]
20101,197677[20][21]
20112,9492,400[21][22]
20124,0604,000[22][23]
20134,6734,661[5]
20145,6605,500[24][25]
2015 6,605 7,748 [9]
2016 7,165 8 790 [9]
2017 8,610 9,573 [26]
2018 9,617 10,569 [27]
2019 10,575 11,357 [27]
Sources: PV-Barometer, IEA-PVPS, EPIA and

Ministère de l'Environnement, de l'Energie et de la Mer.

Solar PV market by segment

Installed Capacity in France by class size 2017[28]
<9 kW 15.9%
9–100 kW 18.6%
100–250 kW 13.8%
>250 kW 51.7%

Residential solar PV capacity

According to a report on behalf of the European Commission by 2020 France would have an estimated 1,484 MW of residential solar PV capacity with 458,000 residential solar PV prosumers in the country representing 1.6% of households.[29] The average size of residential solar PV systems is estimated to be 3.24 kW moving to 2030.[29] The technical potential for residential solar PV in France is estimated at 34,810 MW.[29] The payback time for residential Solar PV in France is 25.1 years as of 2015.[29] Some of the advantages of small scale residential Solar include eliminating the need for extra land, keeping cost saving advantages in local communities and empowering households to become prosumers of renewable electricity and thus raising awareness of wasteful consumption habits and environmental issues through direct experience.

Large photovoltaic power stations

NameMWpDepartement LocationNotes
Cestas Solar Park 300 Gironde 44°43′31.8″N 0°48′56.5″W / 44.725500°N 0.815694°W / 44.725500; -0.815694 (Cestas)
Toul-Rosières Solar Park 115 Meurthe-et-Moselle 48°46′48″N 5°58′48″E / 48.78000°N 5.98000°E / 48.78000; 5.98000 (Toul-Rosières)
Gabardan Solar Park 67.2 Landes 44°3′40″N 0°0′50″W / 44.06111°N 0.01389°W / 44.06111; -0.01389 (Gabardan)
Les Mées Solar Park 90 Alpes-de-Haute-Provence 44°1′12″N 6°1′12″E / 44.02000°N 6.02000°E / 44.02000; 6.02000 (Les Mées) Multiple sections[30]
Crucey Solar Park 60 Eure-et-Loir 48°38′38″N 1°5′59″E / 48.64389°N 1.09972°E / 48.64389; 1.09972 (Crucey) [31]
Massangis Solar Park 56 Yonne 47°36′40.0″N 4°0′36.7″E / 47.611111°N 4.010194°E / 47.611111; 4.010194 (Massangis) [32]
Curbans Solar Park 33 Alpes-de-Haute-Provence 44°24′10.1″N 6°1′58.8″E / 44.402806°N 6.033000°E / 44.402806; 6.033000 (Curbans)

Floating solar

A 17 MW floating solar plant was installed at Piolenc near the Rhône river in 2019.[33]

See also

Notes

    References

    1. ↑ "France's H1 solar deployments jump 217% Y/Y". Renewablesnow.com. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
    2. ↑ "Photovoltaic Barometer 2023". EurObserv’ER. 2023-05-05. p. 2/7. Retrieved 2023-07-09.
    3. ↑ Anu Bhambhani (2022-02-14). "France Announces 100 GW Solar Target". Taiyang News. Retrieved 2023-07-09.
    4. ↑ Neslen, Arthur (2015-12-04). "India Unveils Global Solar Alliance of 120 Countries at Paris Climate Summit". AlterNet. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
    5. 1 2 "Global Market Outlook for Photovoltaics 2014-2018" (PDF). www.epia.org. EPIA - European Photovoltaic Industry Association. p. 26. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 June 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
    6. ↑ Willis, Ben (23 January 2014). "French government faces calls to revive domestic PV sector". pv-tech.org/. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
    7. ↑ "COMMISSARIAT GENERAL AU DEVELOPPEMENT DURABLE, Chiffres et Statisque no. 732 Feb 2016" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-05.
    8. ↑ "Snapshot of Global Photovoltaic Markets, IEA PVPS p14" (PDF).
    9. 1 2 3 4 "Photovoltaic barometer 2017 | EurObserv'ER". www.eurobserv-er.org. 28 November 2016. Retrieved 2017-09-23.
    10. ↑ Baptiste Clarke (6 July 2015). "Titanesque ! La centrale photovoltaïque de Cestas, en Gironde". Actu-Environnement.
    11. ↑ Cat Rutter Pooley (16 February 2018). "EDF revenues slip as nuclear pressures bite". Financial Times. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
    12. ↑ Geert De Clercq (2017-12-11). "CORRECTED-EDF says to develop 30 GW of solar in France by 2035". Reuters. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
    13. ↑ "French oil giant Total going big on solar energy". Marketplace. 2021-01-19. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
    14. ↑ Birnbaum, Michael (2023-02-08). "New French law will blanket parking lots with solar panels". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
    15. ↑ "PV Watts". NREL. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
    16. ↑ "PV Watts". NREL. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
    17. ↑ "PV Watts". NREL. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
    18. ↑ "PV Watts". NREL. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
    19. 1 2 EUROBSER'VER. "Photovoltaic Barometer - installations 2008 and 2009" (PDF). energies-renouvelables.org. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 December 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
    20. 1 2 EUROBSER'VER. "Photovoltaic Barometer - installations 2009 and 2010" (PDF). energies-renouvelables.org. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 May 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
    21. 1 2 EUROBSER'VER. "Photovoltaic Barometer - installations 2010 and 2011" (PDF). energies-renouvelables.org. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
    22. 1 2 EUROBSER'VER. "Photovoltaic Barometer - installations 2011 and 2012" (PDF). energies-renouvelables.org. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
    23. ↑ "Global Market Outlook for Photovoltaics 2014-2018" (PDF). epia.org. EPIA - European Photovoltaic Industry Association. p. 24. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 June 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
    24. ↑ "Snapshot of Global PV 1992-2014" (PDF). iea-pvps.org. International Energy Agency — Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme. 30 March 2015. Archived from the original on 7 April 2015.
    25. ↑ EUROBSER'VER (April 2015). "Photovoltaic Barometer - installations 2013 and 2014" (PDF). energies-renouvelables.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 May 2015.
    26. ↑ webmaster (7 May 2019). "Photovoltaic barometer 2019 | EurObserv'ER". Retrieved 2019-08-18.
    27. 1 2 "Photovoltaic barometer 2020". EurObserv'ER. 30 April 2020.
    28. ↑ "EXISTING AND FUTURE PV PROSUMER CONCEPTS , pg. 18" (PDF).
    29. 1 2 3 4 "Study on "Residential Prosumers in the European Energy Union"" (PDF).
    30. ↑ France launches vast solar panel array
    31. ↑ EDF Energies Nouvelles commissions a 60 MWp solar power plant in Crucey - France Archived 2013-02-28 at the Wayback Machine
    32. ↑ EDF Energies Nouvelles commissions a 56 MWp solar power plant in Massangis - France
    33. ↑ Simon, Frédéric (18 October 2019). "Europe's largest floating solar plant opens in France". www.euractiv.com.
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