Solar power in France

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Solar potential

Solar power in France including overseas territories reached an installed capacity figure of 7,165 MW by year end 2016 generating 8,790 GWh of power.[1]

The solar power capacity is set to continue expanding with a target of around 18-20 GW installed by 2023.[2] However, wavering political support for new installations slowed down PV deployment since the record year of 2011, when 1,700 MW had been installed.

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.[3] 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.

Timeline of developments[edit]

2016[edit]

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.[4] Approximately 560 MW of new installations were added during the year.[1]

2015[edit]

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.[5] In 2015 France was the country with the seventh largest solar PV installed capacity in the world.[6] Around 903 MW of new installations were added during the year.[1]

2014[edit]

Growth remains subdued since the record year of 2011. 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.[7] 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.[8]

2011[edit]

PV deployment has a record year in France with around 1,700 MW of new installations operational during the year. Growth in new installations falls back in the following years.

Insolation[edit]

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[9]
Source: NREL[10]
Source: NREL[11]
Source: NREL[12]

Photovoltaic installations[edit]

Main articles: Solar power in the European Union and Growth of photovoltaics
Year end Capacity
(MWp)		 Generation
(GWh)		 Ref
2008 104 [13]
2009 289 [13][14]
2010 1,197 677 [14][15]
2011 2,949 2,400 [15][16]
2012 4,060 4,000 [16][17]
2013 4,673 4,661 [7]
2014 5,660 5,500 [18][19]
2015 6,605 7,748 [1]
2016 7,165 8 790 [1]
Sources: PV-Barometer, IEA-PVPS, EPIA and

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

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

1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016

List of photovoltaic power stations[edit]

Further information: Photovoltaic power station
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
Solar Parks
Name MWp Location Notes
Cestas Solar Park 300 44°43′32″N 0°49′1″W / 44.72556°N 0.81694°W / 44.72556; -0.81694
Toul-Rosières Solar Park 115 48°46′48″N 005°58′48″E / 48.78000°N 5.98000°E / 48.78000; 5.98000
Gabardan Solar Park 67.2 44°02′42″N 0°01′36″W / 44.04500°N 0.02667°W / 44.04500; -0.02667
Les Mées Solar Park[20] 90 44°00′N 6°00′E / 44.000°N 6.000°E / 44.000; 6.000 Multiple sections
Crucey Solar Park[21] 60
Massangis Solar Park[22] 56
Châteaudun Solar Park[23] 50 Planned
Curbans Solar Park 33 44°25′N 06°03′E / 44.417°N 6.050°E / 44.417; 6.050

List of Owners of Photovoltaic Portfolios in France[24][edit]

Ranking Name Capicity
Installed
in MW
1. Solairedirect 157
2. Aquila Capital 113
3. Capital Stage 90
4. DIF 88
5. Marguerite Fund 72
6. Tenergie 57
7. Sonnedix 56
8. Diamond 56
9. Glennmont 55
10. Enerparc 50

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e "Photovoltaic barometer 2017 | EurObserv'ER". www.eurobserv-er.org. Retrieved 2017-09-23. 
  2. ^ "Ministre de l'Environnement, de l'Énergie et de la Mer, Programmation pluriannuelle de l'énergie, 27 October 2016". 
  3. ^ Neslen, Arthur (2015-12-04). "India Unveils Global Solar Alliance of 120 Countries at Paris Climate Summit". AlterNet. Retrieved 2016-08-06. 
  4. ^ Baptiste Clarke. "Titanesque ! La centrale photovoltaïque de Cestas, en Gironde". Actu-Environnement. 
  5. ^ "COMMISSARIAT GENERAL AU DEVELOPPEMENT DURABLE, Chiffres et Statisque no. 732 Feb 2016" (PDF). 
  6. ^ "Snapshot of Global Photovoltaic Markets, IEA PVPS p14" (PDF). 
  7. ^ a b "Global Market Outlook for Photovoltaics 2014-2018". www.epia.org. EPIA - European Photovoltaic Industry Association. p. 26. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 June 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2014. 
  8. ^ Willis, Ben (23 January 2014). "French government faces calls to revive domestic PV sector". pv-tech.org/. Retrieved 16 June 2014. 
  9. ^ "PV Watts". NREL. Retrieved 28 June 2012. 
  10. ^ "PV Watts". NREL. Retrieved 28 June 2012. 
  11. ^ "PV Watts". NREL. Retrieved 28 June 2012. 
  12. ^ "PV Watts". NREL. Retrieved 28 June 2012. 
  13. ^ a b EUROBSER'VER. "Photovoltaic Barometer - installations 2008 and 2009". energies-renouvelables.org. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 June 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2013. 
  14. ^ a b EUROBSER'VER. "Photovoltaic Barometer - installations 2009 and 2010". energies-renouvelables.org. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 June 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2013. 
  15. ^ a b EUROBSER'VER. "Photovoltaic Barometer - installations 2010 and 2011". energies-renouvelables.org. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 June 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2013. 
  16. ^ a b EUROBSER'VER. "Photovoltaic Barometer - installations 2011 and 2012". energies-renouvelables.org. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 June 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2013. 
  17. ^ "Global Market Outlook for Photovoltaics 2014-2018". epia.org. EPIA - European Photovoltaic Industry Association. p. 24. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 June 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2014. 
  18. ^ "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 30 March 2015. 
  19. ^ EUROBSER'VER (April 2015). "Photovoltaic Barometer - installations 2013 and 2014" (PDF). energies-renouvelables.org. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. 
  20. ^ France launches vast solar panel array
  21. ^ EDF Energies Nouvelles commissions a 60 MWp solar power plant in Crucey - France
  22. ^ EDF Energies Nouvelles commissions a 56 MWp solar power plant in Massangis - France
  23. ^ China's Fire Energy to build 50MW solar plant in France
  24. ^ Solarplaza: Top 20 PV portfolios in Europe: Who owns what? 18 Sept 2014

External links[edit]

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