OVERVIEW - PV market in France in 2023

This is an executive summary regarding materials prepared by Solarplaza International BV, in conjunction with their upcoming Solarplaza Summit France, which represent an overview of the French Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Market in the current year (2023) as well as a look towards future developments.

EU & French Government Targets

- 40%+ reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 (compared to 1990).

- 32% renewable energy (RE) share in the gross final energy consumption by 2030.

- 20.1 GW of operational solar capacity by 2023, and at least 35.1 GW by 2028.

Developments in the Market

- In 2022, solar accounted for 10% of the total installed generation capacity of France & more than half of the cumulative solar capacity came from installations above 250 kW.

- By the end of 2022, France reached a cumulative solar capacity of 16.1 GW & maintained its ranking as the fifth-largest solar market in the EU.

- To achieve the Government Target of 20.1 GW, France will need to install an additional 4 GW of solar capacity in 2023.

Auctions of the French Government

- Auctions are one of the main instruments that the French Government is using to drive growth within its domestic solar market.

- Specifically, until 2026, France is looking for a combined 3,690 MW of annual capacity to come from ground-mounted PV, rooftop PV, innovative PV, and technology-neutral projects.

- Thus far, 1580 MW of solar capacity has been awarded to the three main solar energy auctions (ground-mounted, rooftop, and innovative PV). Solar energy has also contributed to the technology-neutral auctions (180 MW won out of a total of 500 MW).

Opportunities

- Simplified procedures & legislative changes were adopted in 2022 which enable faster solar energy development; this has already been shown in the notable growth in the C&I rooftop segment, as mid-sized projects were limited to tendering procedures prior to the legislative change.

- In 2023, a new scheme for ground-mounted projects installed below 1 MW has begun; which is expected to further drive growth in the solar energy industry.

- With the development of electric vehicles (EV) & their charging requirements, new measures were proposed that require the development of rooftop solar installations on medium- to large-sized car parks in France.

Challenges

- In terms of solar energy opportunities, the self-consumption market is comparatively small in France.

- Compared to the older ground-mounted and innovative PV auctions, the latest rooftop and ground-mounted auction rounds had poor subscription numbers.

Conclusion

As with any renewable energy industry, there are clear challenges as well as clear opportunities to be made aware of. Gaining these insights as well as networking with like-minded peers, vendors, and investors is going to be (and already is!) key to a well-rounded understanding of the French solar energy market in 2023.

Solarplaza is honored to be able to share this information with you and even more will be shared, discussed, and made available at our upcoming Solarplaza Summit this summer – taking place in Paris on the 29th of June!

Prepared by Nicole Malley

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