Solar energy players create a federation to counter "attacks"

A new association of photovoltaic professionals, the National Federation of Solar Energy (FNES), has just been launched with the aim of structuring the sector and better responding to the "attacks" against this renewable energy, in the midst of the debate on France's energy future, we learned on Tuesday, July 15.

This association, whose statutes were symbolically filed on June 21, the day of the summer solstice, and which was officially launched on Monday, aims to unite the sector in "all its diversity": installers, equipment manufacturers, distributors, financiers, design offices, training organizations, etc.

The association aims to respond to a "strategic need: to assert a clear and shared vision of the solar industry" while "educating" against "solar bashing" and "preconceived ideas" or "ideological opposition" on solar energy, according to its manifesto sent to AFP.

The sector considers itself the victim of "fairly unfair attacks, which can be used for political gain, which are sometimes ideological (...) and which are very short-term," Floriane de Brabandère, president of the FNES, explained to AFP.

The association aims to complement the work of unions representing renewable energy, such as the Renewable Energy Union (SER) and Enerplan, for solar energy.

"The goal is not to replace them," nor to "add another voice (...) in the face of the administration," the president emphasizes, but to "bring everyone around the table to have internal debates within the sector" on issues such as employment and training.

For several months, criticism from the right and the far right has been mounting against renewable energies, including photovoltaics, which are accused of driving up connection costs and the burden on public finances, and of overshadowing nuclear power, which is the majority energy source in France.

The right and the far right attempted to establish a moratorium on new renewable energy installations, a measure ultimately rejected on June 24 by a large majority in the National Assembly during the examination of the "Gremillet" bill on France's energy programming, which is due to return to the deputies at the end of September.

Without waiting for this deadline, the decree of the multi-year energy programming, which details the objectives by energy, with possible downward adjustments on solar energy, is expected "before the end of the summer", assured the Minister of Energy Marc Ferracci on July 8.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.