According to the latest Solar Photovoltaic System Planning Report (IEA PVPS) released by the International Energy Agency, France will add 4GW of new solar installed capacity in 2023, some record highs.This growth is mainly due to the decline in market electricity prices, the sharp decline in solar module prices and the French government’s “Renewable Energy Acceleration Law”
The report pointed out that compared with the revised 3.2GW in 2022, the new installed capacity in 2023 has increased significantly.The decline in market electricity prices and the sharp decline in solar module prices have reduced the investment cost of new photovoltaic installations, making solar photovoltaic power generation more competitive.Stockpiling by European solar module buyers, combined with massive capacity expansion by Asian manufacturers and trade barriers in the U.S. market, has resulted in European supply exceeding demand, further pushing module prices down.
In addition, the French government’s Renewable Energy Acceleration Law, which will take effect in 2023, has also played an important role in promoting it. The law mandates the use of solar energy on new or refurbished buildings larger than 500 square meters, requires the installation of solar carports on parking lots larger than 1,500 square meters, and allows the construction of photovoltaic systems on unused land surfaces close to roads, canals and railway lines.The implementation of these measures has promoted the widespread application of solar photovoltaic systems.
It is worth noting that the market share of residential solar installed capacity will account for 24% of newly installed capacity in 2023, and nearly 40% of the new capacity will be used for self-use. According to report statistics, France will have nearly 7GW (DC) of new projects entering the grid connection waiting queue in 2023, and more than 26GW of reserve projects will be added.
From January to March this year, approximately 1,013MW photovoltaic power plants were connected to the grid in France. Compared with the United States, the United States added 984MW in the fourth quarter of 2023 and 639MW in the first quarter of last year. As of the end of March 2024, France's cumulative photovoltaic installed capacity reached 21.1GW. Among them, about 20.3GW is deployed in mainland France, and the rest are distributed in Corsica and French overseas territories.
Currently, there are 27.3GW of photovoltaic projects to be connected to the grid, of which about 6.3GW have signed preliminary grid connection agreements.So far this year, the New Aquitaine, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte Côte d'Azur regions and the Grand Est account for 47% of all new grid capacity. These regions have the highest installed photovoltaic capacity, accounting for more than 53% of France's cumulative power generation as of the end of March.
Report data from the French Ministry of Ecological Transformation show that France’s photovoltaic installed capacity in the first quarter was 1GW, and as of the end of March 2024, the cumulative photovoltaic installed capacity reached 21.1GW.
