France announces 10 measures to support PV deployment
France has announced a new 10-measure plan to facilitate solar deployment, featuring new and existing provisions. It is designed to support the installation of more than 3 GW per year throughout the country by the end of 2025.
From pv magazine France
French Minister of Ecological Transition Barbara Pompili announced a 10-measure plan on Wednesday to accelerate the development of photovoltaics.
Some of the measures were already known and implemented, such as the new feed-in tariff for PV systems up to 500 kW and the obligation to install solar panels on certain kinds of buildings. But the new provisions mainly focus on the use of degraded land and the acceleration of administrative procedures.
“Currently, we are at 12 GW of installed PV capacity, which we need to triple by 2028 and by seven times by 2050,” said the minister. “This is a lot and we want to make the development of photovoltaics a priority wherever possible, without artificializing the land.”
The country’s Multi-Year Energy Program (PPE) plans to reach between 35.6 GW and 44.5 GW of solar power in 2028. The ministry is focusing on wastelands, which, according to the minister, represent a potential of 8 GW. In addition, the plan sets a target of 1,000 solar projects on public land by 2025 and in particular, along motorways.
A draft decree will be submitted for public consultation before the end of the year to exempt solar panels on existing buildings and parking lots from environmental assessments. Building permits will no longer be required for small projects.
In addition, the Ministry of Ecological Transition will launch a vast audit in 2022 of the different categories of project promoters to identify new simplification measures. Finally, a decree will soon be published to implement the measure of the climate and resilience law, which offsets grid fee costs for small projects below 500 kW.
Action plan
1. Support for photovoltaics on buildings and degraded land
2. Mandatory solar in warehouses, hangars and carports
3. Regular tenders for large rooftop PV projects and ground-mounted plants on degraded land
4. Install 1,000 solar projects on public land by 2025
5. Improve impacts on biodiversity, soil and landscapes
6. Simplify administrative procedures for small projects
7. Support PV project developers
8. Lower grid fees for small solar projects
9. Support energy communities
10. Create label for solar cities and departments