France has installed 1,378 MW of solar capacity in the first half (1H) of 2023, compared to 1,233 MW installed in the same period of the previous year.

The country recorded 11.2 TWh of solar power generation during the January- June period, an increase of 18% year-over-year. It accounted for 4.7% of France’s electricity consumption, representing 0.9% year-over-year growth.

France’s total installed solar capacity was 18 GW as of June 30, 2023, with 17.3 GW in mainland France.

The regions of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Occitanie, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, and Pays de la Loire played a significant role in expanding solar power during 1H 2023. Collectively, these regions accounted for 67% of the newly connected capacity in the country.

Approximately 39% of the generated power in the January -June period came from new installations exceeding 250 kW despite representing only 0.2% of the total number of new connections. Installations of smaller capacities, specifically those below 9 kW, constituted 94% of the newly connected units, contributing to 24% of the new power capacity.

The pipeline projects’ capacity grew significantly, rising by 19% since the beginning of the year to reach 20.1 GW. Among these projects, 4.49 GW has already secured a signed connection agreement.

In France, 41.6% of photovoltaic installations, accounting for 78.5% of the installed power, were from captive power projects, showing a 1.2% increase compared to the previous quarter. Captive project installations generated 297 GWh, representing 3.9% of the total photovoltaic production for the quarter.

In August, France’s Ministry of Ecological and Solidarity Transition announced the list of successful bidders for the fifth round of auctions for commercial and industrial rooftop solar projects of capacities higher than 500 kW for a total capacity of 378 MW. The average price quoted by the 60 winners in the auction was €0.1019 (~$0.1102)/kWh.

The European Parliament and the Council have provisionally agreed to raise the European Union’s binding renewable target to a minimum of 42.5% by 2030, up from 32%. It would mean doubling the existing share of renewables in the EU.