
France is aiming to increase its solar PV capacity from 11.5 GW in March 2021 to 23 GW by the end of 2023. The country offers for small-scale solar PV up to 100 kWp on rooftops for self-consumption, with a specific grid tariff for collective users and exemption from the domestic tax on electricity for projects under 1 MW. However, a proposal to reduce solar PV subsidies for ongoing projects until 2030 has created controversy, affecting the sector's growth. [pdf]
In 2016, France was ranked 4th in the EU by installed capacity and 14th in terms of PV capacity by inhabitant at 107.3 Wp/Inhab compared to the EU average of 197.8 Wp/Inhab for the year. The country's largest completed solar park to date was the 300 MW Cestas Solar Park.
The insolation in France ranges from 3 sun hours/day in the north to 5 sun hours/day in the south. The output of a solar array is a function of age, temperature, tilt, shading, tracking, and insolation. France is aiming to increase its solar PV capacity from 11.5 GW in March 2021 to 23 GW by the end of 2023.
Solar power in France including overseas territories reached an installed capacity figure of 11.2 GW in 2020, and rose further to 17.1 GW at the end of 2022. Government plans announced in 2022 foresee solar PV capacity in France rising to 100 GW by 2050.
Aside from the rooftop solar PV auctions, France also held a ground-mounted tender in March of this year, which awarded nearly 1GW of PV capacity. After awarding over 500MW of capacity in the fifth tender, held in August 2023, the numbers have dwindled in the following auctions, as shown in the chart below.
Beyond falling prices, the IEA PVPS report said solar installations were bolstered by the measures introduced in the French government’s Law for the Acceleration of Renewable Energies which came into force in 2023. A requirement that competitive tender winners share some of the added value with locals.
A requirement that competitive tender winners share some of the added value with locals. Car ports and car parks have become a significant driver of solar adoption in France. In November 2022, the government passed a law requiring all large car parks to have solar roofs from mid-2023.

In 2022, Switzerland derived 6% of its electricity from solar power. Studies show that installing solar panels on mountaintops in the could produce at least 16 terawatt-hours (TWh) a year, approaching half of the nation's 2050 solar energy target. Typically, solar panels in Switzerland are mounted on existing infrastructure like mountain huts, ski lifts, and dams, with larger-scale installations in the Alps remaining rare. [pdf]

Two new solar photovoltaic (PV) plants are set to be constructed in Tunisia, helping the country reduce its reliance on fossil fuels.. Two new solar photovoltaic (PV) plants are set to be constructed in Tunisia, helping the country reduce its reliance on fossil fuels.. La compañía TuNur, que tiene capital europeo, construirá una granja de paneles solares que producirá 4.5 gigawatts en el desierto de Sahara y que será capaz de atender la demanda de la Unión Europe. [pdf]
In Tataouine, in the governorate of Tunisia that goes by the same name, a photovoltaic power plant is in operation that can reach a maximum installed capacity of 10 MW to supply more than 20 GWh of energy per year to the national grid. The plant is equipped with a solar tracking system that optimises the energy that is produced.
Tunisia has a target of generating 30% of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2030. The south of the country, where our Adam and Tataouine power plants are located, is an ideal area for solar power generation.
In Tunisia, Nur Energie is developing the world’s first CSP solar export project between North Africa and Europe. For more information about the TuNur project please visit the TuNur company website:
Nur Energie has built and maintained a solar weather station for 3 years on the TuNur site to receive real time solar data on the ground. Tunisia has up to 20% better radiation than some of the best sites in Europe, and the Sahara desert provides significant land to develop large scale solar power projects.
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