the solar panel market | France

1.1 Definition and scope of study

Solar panels are designed to recover energy from solar radiation and convert it into either electricity or heat. There are in fact two types of solar panels: photovoltaic panels on the one hand, which generate electricity, and thermal panels on the other hand, which produce heat.

The solar panel market is booming. Although still in the minority among energy sources, solar energy has been experiencing sustained growth in France since 2010: installed capacity officially exceeded 10 GW at the beginning of 2020 and should reach 40 GW in 2028 according to national targets. As sustainable development is at the heart of current concerns, solar energy is one of the renewable energies "of the future". As such, investments in new photovoltaic installations are significant.

The sector is strongly boosted by the particular role of the State which intervenes on this market through aids, tax benefits and obligations to buy back the photovoltaic electricity produced. Despite the entry of new French and European start-ups, whose offerings reflect the trends for hybrid and digital, the French (and more broadly the European) solar panel sector is heavily dependent on Chinese supply, whose competition has intensified in recent years.

Finally, the effects of the current health crisis will be interesting in the long term. While the crisis has led to a slowdown in the market over the last few months, it has also helped to strengthen French people's interest in sustainable development and alternative energies and has demonstrated the resilience of solar installations in the face of the collapse in electricity prices.