France added 4.5 GW of new solar PV capacity in the first 9 months of 2025, a nearly 22% YoY increase, according to the SDES data
Rooftop systems dominated connections, as small systems under 9 kW made up 86% of new installations
Solar PV generated 28.6 TWh in Q3 2025, covering 7.9% of national electricity consumption (excluding self-consumption)
French solar PV installations reached a cumulative capacity of 29.7 GW at the end of September 2025, out of which 4.5 GW came online within 9M 2025, according to the country’s Données et Etudes Statistiques or Data and Statistical Studies Department (SDES).
Between January and September this year, there was an annual increase of almost 22% to 3.7 GW in the same period last year, which the SDES restated from the 3.5 GW reported previously (see French Solar PV Installed Capacity Reaches 23.7 GW).
On a quarterly basis, it exceeded 1.5 GW capacity in both Q1 and Q3, while adding 1.42 GW in Q2 this year. Solar PV produced 28.6 TWh of electricity in Q3 this year compared to 21.2 TWh in Q3 2024. Around 10% of the quarterly PV electricity generation was self-consumed by the prosumers. Excluding self-consumption, solar power production represented 7.9% of French electricity consumption.
According to the department, nearly 1/3rd of the newly connected capacity during 9M comprises systems with >500 kW capacity, which represented only 0.2% of the total number of new connections. It was the lower system sizes of under 9 kW that made up the bulk of new installations, accounting for an 86% share, and 13% of new capacity.
On a cumulative basis, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie, and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions account for 46% of the newly installed capacity in Q3 in the mainland. Together, these regions represent 51% of France’s total installed PV capacity.
The SDES notes that the capacity of the projects in the connection queue increased by 15% since Q4 2024, reaching 36.9 GW, of which 8.4 GW had secured connection agreements. “As a reminder, these are the volumes of connection requests submitted to network operators. This does not necessarily correspond to the volumes that will actually be put into service, as the rate of abandonments before commissioning is significant and depends in particular on the volumes supported by the State in the coming years,” it adds.
Overall, the French solar PV market expanded by 3.45 GW in 2023 and 5.21 GW in 2024. It is now a few GWs away from the national target of 35.1 GW to 44.0 GW cumulative capacity by 2028 under its multi-year energy program (PPE).
Recently, the French government announced the launch of an audit mission to ‘rethink’ public support for renewable energy and energy storage. French Renewable Energy Trade Association (SER) believes the step resembles a ‘preparatory step towards lowering ambitions for renewable energy.’
It stressed that the government must not view public support for energy transition as a wasteful expenditure. It must rather see renewable energy contributing significantly to the country’s energy transition by eliminating the amounts the country spends each year on importing fossil fuels, and help achieve energy sovereignty.
