• French solar power capacity additions in Q1/2020 were a total of 182 MW
  • Solar power generation in Q1/2020 increased 3% YoY to 2.3 TWh due to more sunny days
  • Cumulative installed solar power capacity of the country till March 31, 2020 reached 10.07 GW

The Data and Statistical Studies (SDES) of France has announced 182 MW of new solar power capacity was added in Q1/2020, taking the country’s cumulative installations to 10.07 GW of which 9.49 GW is installed in mainland France. That means France has in total about a fifth of the installed PV capacity of Germany and less than what the US installs per year.

Additions of 182 MW in the first 3 months of 2020 reflects hardly growth from 170 MW installed a year back. Of the new installations, smaller installations of less than 9 kW represent close to 85% of newly connected units.

Solar power generation in Q1/2020 amounted to 2.3 TWh increase of 3% compared to 2.2 TWh in Q1/2019, with the increase attributed to good sunshine. Altogether, solar power production till March 2020 represented 1.7% of total French electricity consumption. In Q4/2019, the country installed 236 MW of new capacity.

Last month, France Territoire Solaire pegged French Q1/2020 solar installations at 176 MW in Mainland France.