This Wednesday, Barbara Pompili presented a package of ten measures recently introduced or to come to accelerate the deployment of solar energy in France.
To date, the photovoltaic sector has 12.6 gigawatts (GW) of installed power in France.
Far from the target of 20.6 GW set by the multiannual energy program for 2023 and even further from the capacities expected for 2050.
To accelerate this deployment, this action plan aims in particular to encourage and facilitate small photovoltaic projects as well as to promote projects that relate to degraded lands.
Not jealous.
On October 5, Barbara Pompili presented a package of ten measures intended to better support the deployment of wind energy in France.
A month later, the Minister of Ecological Transition presents ten others intended this time to accelerate the deployment of solar energy, the other major sector of renewable energies.
The stakes are high as solar energy is lagging behind in France.
While wind power already had 17.6 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity at the end of 2020 and provided 7.9% of French electricity production, the French photovoltaic park was at 12.6 GW at the end of June.
Enough to ensure a little more than 2% of French electricity production.
The challenge of massive development
We are still far from the objective attributed to solar in the Multiannual Energy Programming (PPE), this document which sets France's energy policy over the next ten years and whose last version dates back to the end of November 2018. The PPE thus forecasts that the French photovoltaic park will reach 20.6 GW by 2023 and between 35.6 and 44.5 GW in 2028. Since then, the “Energy Futures 2050” report from RTE, the manager of the French electricity network, on October 25. In the six electricity production mix scenarios studied to achieve carbon neutrality in 2050, from 100% renewable energies (ENR) to the 50% nuclear-50% ENR mix, all imply a strong development of solar energy in France in the next thirty years. “Between times seven and times twelve”, we recall,this Wednesday morning, at the Ministry of Ecological Transition.
As for wind power a month ago, among the ten measures announced by Barbara Pompili this Wednesday, some are already in effect. This is the case, for example, with the obligation to install photovoltaic panels or green roofs on the roofs of new warehouses, hangars, car parks and office buildings when they reach a certain size. The biodiversity law had already been introduced from 2017 on the roofs of warehouses (including commercial premises) and hangars of more than 1,000 m². “The Climate and Resilience Law, promulgated on August 22, strengthened the system by extending the obligation to warehouses and hangars from 500m², and by adding outdoor parking lots of more than 500m² for the installation of shade shelters. photovoltaic systems, but also office buildings from 1,000 m² ”,explains Richard Loyen, Managing Director of Enerplan, a professional solar energy union. The obligation also concerns the major renovations of these buildings, specifies the Ministry of Ecological Transition.
Encourage photovoltaic projects on wasteland
This measure contributes to the challenge of developing photovoltaics in areas with the fewest environmental issues. In other words, where it does not contribute to the artificialization of soils, for example by nibbling agricultural land which may be the case for certain ground-based power plant projects. Other measures presented by Barbara Pompili go in the same direction. This is the case with the decree issued on October 6, which allows a greater number of carriers of photovoltaic projects on roofs to be eligible for open-desk purchase prices. That is to say a purchase price of the electricity produced guaranteed by the State and for twenty years. Until now, only projects of less than 100 kW were eligible, the others having to go through calls for tenders. The threshold was pushed back to 500 kW by this decree of October 6.“This measure was long overdue since it had been announced more than a year ago by the government,” explains Daniel Bour, president of Enerplan. It was one of our oldest demands. Going through calls for tenders, a cumbersome procedure with no guarantees of success for project leaders, to the point that many were discouraged. "
It's not just for the roofs.
The government also wants to promote in the same way solar power plant projects on the ground of less than 500 kW when they are planned on degraded land.
A decree in this direction will be published in the next six months, announces Barbara Pompili.
These degraded lands - typically wasteland - represent a significant deposit.
The Ministry of Ecological Transition refers to a study by the Ecological Transition Agency (Ademe) which estimates the installed power that these degraded lands could accommodate at 8 Gw of photovoltaic panels.
1,000 photovoltaic projects on public land by 2025
The State also intends to accelerate the development of photovoltaics in France by placing an order itself for projects on public land. This is another strong axis of the plan announced this Wednesday by Barbara Pompili. An operation to identify its buildings and land suitable for the installation of photovoltaic panels has been launched. With the objective of launching 1,000 projects on public land by 2025.
In this package of measures, several also aim to simplify administrative procedures for projects with the least impact in terms of land use. Thus, projects of less than 300 kW, on existing buildings and parking shades, will no longer be subject to environmental assessment, a procedure "which extended by several months the realization of projects until very often, again, pushing to their abandonment ”, slips Daniel Bour. Here again, the projects on the ground are not forgotten. “Until now, the environmental assessment was mandatory from 250 kW, announces one in the teams of Barbara Pompili. This threshold is pushed back to 300 kw and the decision whether or not to launch this evaluation will be made on a case-by-case basis for projects between 300 and 600 kw. Beyond,it remains compulsory ”This measure is similar to that requested by the Citizen's Climate Convention, which proposed to abolish these environmental assessments for projects below 500 kW.
Too late for the 2023 target?
It remains to be seen whether these ten measures will really allow the photovoltaic sector to take off in France?
Enerplan like the Renewable Energies Union (SER), another professional organization, we consider that they are going in the right direction.
"Provided that the measures which are still today at the stage of announcements are effectively applied, tempers Daniel Bour.
The SER also invites “to start a reflection on the use of other types of land to accelerate the deployment of solar in France.
In particular agricultural land.
"This will be the subject of future announcements by the Ministry of Agriculture," we replied on Wednesday to the Ministry of Ecological Transition.
In any case, the objective of reaching 20.6 Gw of installed capacity by 2023 set by the PPE is now unattainable, believe both Richard Loyen and Daniel Bour.
There remains the 2028 objective (between 35.6 and 44.5 GW).
Still playable this one, they assure.
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