With 3.5 GW deployed in 9M 2024, the country has exceeded the 3.2 GW PV capacity addition reported for the entire 2023
Key Takeaways
- SDES counts new solar PV installations in France to have added up to 3.5 GW in 9M 2024
- The largest addition was reported for Q3 with 1.357 GW, followed by 1.13 GW in Q2 and 1.058 GW in Q1
- Solar capacity in the grid connection queue swelled by 68% since Q4 2023 to 37.6 GW
The French solar PV market grew by 3.5 GW during 9M 2024, expanding the national total to 23.7 GW and representing 6.2% of the country’s electricity consumption during this period, according to the country’s Données et Etudes Statistiques or Data and Statistical Studies Department (SDES).
The capacity addition split between January and September were: 1.058 GW in Q1, 1.131 GW in Q2, and 1.357 GW in Q3. All these volumes are a significant increase over the same period last year when all quarterly additions were under the 1 GW level, adding up to 2.3 GW.
The total number of solar installations exceeded 1 million at the end of the reporting period. French grid operator Enedis said that its network exceeded 1 million renewable energy installations in Q3 this year, with solar PV representing a vast majority. This is led by growing interest in self-consumption, mainly by individuals and small professionals who use energy generated by solar PV panels.
Around 1/3rd or 34% of the newly connected installations in 9M came from systems with more than 500 kW capacity, representing only 0.1% of the new connections. Smaller installations of less than 9 kW capacity represent 92% of the newly connected units and 20% of the new power.
The market grew significantly over the last year as SDES counts the volume of projects in the queue for grid connection having gone up by 68% since Q4 2023 to 37.6 GW. This comprises 11.2 GW with a signed grid-connection agreement.
In terms of geographical distribution, 48% of the capacity additions during 9M this year were from Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions. These regions also represent 52% of the total power in France in Q3. Overall, out of the 23.7 GW cumulative, 22.9 GW is located in mainland France.
France needs to install more than 12 GW of new capacity between now and 2028, by when the government targets to achieve between 35.1 GW to 44 GW of cumulative solar PV capacity under its Multi-Year Energy Programme (PPE).
With 3.5 GW in 9M, the country has exceeded the 3.2 GW that France installed within 2023, the annual installations are lower than the official target of 7 GW/year to meet 60 GW by 2030, and 100 GW by 2035 (see France’s Cumulative Installed PV Capacity Exceeds 20 GW).
Source from Taiyang News
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