During H1/2022, French solar installations added up to 1.098 GW, down 28% annually from 1.534 GW in the previous year as 88% of newly connected units had system sizes lower than 9 kW, accounting for 13% of new power, according to the country's Données et études statistiques or Data and Statistical Studies Department (SDES).
In Q2/2022, newly installed capacity of 491 MW was a drop from 607 MW installed in the previous quarter which previously the department pegged at 484 MW (see France Installed 484 MW Solar In Q1/2022).
"In the second quarter of 2022, 271 GWh of photovoltaic electricity was self-consumed by producers, i.e. 4.2% of photovoltaic production for the quarter. Installations in total self-consumption produced 170 GWh, or 62% of the total self-consumed," stated SDES.
At the end of June 2022, France's cumulative installed solar power capacity reached 15.19 GW comprising 14.53 GW in mainland France. The country counts its projects solar projects pipeline to have gone up by 31% since January 2022 to 15.1 GW.
In mainland France, maximum capacity is held by New Aquitaine region with 3.675 GW, followed by 2.924 GW in Occitania and 1.79 GW in Provence-Alpes- Côte d'Azur.
Solar now represents 3.8% of the national electricity consumption as the technology produced 9.6 TWh in H1/2022.
Recently, the government published amendments to several tenders launched under CRE4 and PPE2 to fast-track more than 3.4 GW and 2.7 GW solar PV capacity to come online calling it an exceptional measure linked to the energy crisis (see France To Speed Up Commissioning Of 6 GW Renewables).