Solar energy recorded +30% connections in 2023 in France

The deployment of solar energy has accelerated in France in 2023, with more than three gigawatts of installed capacity, or 30% more than the previous year, welcomed the solar union Enerplan on Tuesday January 16, taking up the figures connection to the Enedis network.

Some 3.125 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaics, via more than 200.000 installations, were connected last year by Enedis, which covers around 95% of the metropolitan territory (other operators covering the regions of Strasbourg, Grenoble, Picardy in particular).

Onshore wind power gained a little more than one gigawatt (GW), or 95 parks connected, less than in 2022 and as in 2021, for a total of more than 18 GW installed, according to figures from Enedis.

Solar power has been on the rise again in France since 2021, after ten years of less than 1 GW installed each year. The total now stands at more than 17 GW, according to Enedis.

For Enerplan, "this will continue": "the movement is launched", estimates Daniel Bour, its president, who is counting on more than 4 GW in 2024, the sector already having 8 to 9 GW of projects with permits.

At the origin of these figures, the success of self-consumption among individuals, but also businesses and industry.

“This acceleration should also be compared with the very proactive policy led by Agnès Pannier-Runacher, the Minister of Energy Transition” in office until last Thursday, who introduced a law to accelerate renewables, but also led continued action so that the prefects unblock the issuance of permits, adds Mr. Bour.

The acceleration law sent "to professionals a signal of strong mobilization, to reduce the energy dependencies brutally revealed by the war in Ukraine. The solar sector was there and allowed our country to move forward", underlines Enerplan for whom however "being satisfied with these good figures is not enough. 2024 must be another record year, and the constancy of public support is an essential condition".

“Future energy programming objectives must confirm this dynamic and the place of solar energy in the French electricity mix,” underlines Daniel Bour.

France must adopt a new “multi-annual energy program” by the summer, setting objectives by type of energy for 2030 and 2035.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.