Solar PV energy in France - statistics & facts
The exponential growth of the solar photovoltaic energy sector in France has never stopped since its inception in the early 2000s. In 2022, the PV energy capacity in France amounted to approximately 17 gigawatts, making France the fifth European country for cumulative PV capacity that year. Despite this high ranking, the solar PV power generation was still behind hydropower and wind renewable energy production. However, a 2023 forecast estimated that overall PV capacity additions in France will exceed 20 gigawatts by 2027, suggesting that solar could be the major source of renewable electricity in the years to come.
A nother form of PV power incentive offered by the French government is financial assistance for self-consumption systems with sales of surplus to the grid. Only roof-mounted PV installations under 100 kilowatt-peak are eligible for the bonus.
The increase in thenumber of PV self-consumption installations mirrored the governmental subsidies, particularly in the small segment market with power below three kilowatts, which is specific to the residential sector and adapted for self-consumption.
Another problem that France is facing is its limited production of photosensitive semiconductor devices, which are crucial for the construction of PV panels. In fact, in 2022, almost 80 percent of the PV modules worldwide were produced by one country: China.
France’s policies to incentivize solar PV
The French government provides incentives for different segments of the solar PV market, implementing feed-in tariffs for residential PV installations and for rooftop PV systems, for instance. This system commonly allows energy producers to sell their energy at an above-market price.A nother form of PV power incentive offered by the French government is financial assistance for self-consumption systems with sales of surplus to the grid. Only roof-mounted PV installations under 100 kilowatt-peak are eligible for the bonus.
The increase in thenumber of PV self-consumption installations mirrored the governmental subsidies, particularly in the small segment market with power below three kilowatts, which is specific to the residential sector and adapted for self-consumption.
Downsides of the solar PV market
Photovoltaic electricity remains an intermittent type of energy, since its production depends on geographical and weather-related factors. It is no coincidence that the share of PV energy in the gross electricity consumption in France fluctuates according to the season. The emergence of energy storage techniques may provide answers to some of the problems posed by intermittent energy generation.Another problem that France is facing is its limited production of photosensitive semiconductor devices, which are crucial for the construction of PV panels. In fact, in 2022, almost 80 percent of the PV modules worldwide were produced by one country: China.
