Sharp increase in self-consumption of electricity by individuals in France

In total, as of June 30, 2023, France had 325.939 individual self-consumers of electricity, an increase of 77% compared to mid-2022, and a number of special installations more than doubled compared to that of mid-2021. (121.346).

In terms of installed power, the increase is 88% over one year, to 1.629 MW as of June 30, indicates Enedis, against 868 MW as of June 30, 2022 and 535 MW as of June 30, 2021.

Four departments in the south of the country stand out, with installed power greater than 50 megawatts: Haute-Garonne, Hérault, Bouches-du-Rhône and Isère, indicates the French Observatory of Ecological Transition, relayed by Enedis, the distribution network electricity to individuals.

But industrial departments such as Nord, Loire-Atlantique or Rhône are also growing strongly with installed power between 36 MW and 47 MW each.

The Observatory notes that collective self-consumption, for local electricity sharing between one or more producers at the level of a building, a condominium, a district or an industrial zone for example, is also developing. .

As of June 30, 224 local collective operators were listed in the country, the acceleration of the pace of progress being due mainly to local authorities which carry 60% of the projects, according to the Observatory.

However, these figures are far from making up for the French delay in photovoltaics, particularly with regard to large solar field installations.

Photovoltaics should reach between 92 and 144 GW of installed power in 2050 for France to meet its carbon neutrality objectives, recalls Ademe on its site.

However, the power of the French photovoltaic solar park only reached 18 GW at the end of the first half of 2023, according to statistics from the Ministry of Ecological Transition.

The production of electricity from solar photovoltaic origin, which amounted to 11,2 TWh in the first half, represents 4,7% of French electricity consumption over the half.