In a recently published short study, the French environment and energy agency, ADEME (Agence de lEnvironnement et de la Maitrise de lEnergie) has proposed raising the national target for PV installations from the current 5.4 GW to 15 GW by 2020. By the end of 2012, France had a cumulative PV capacity of just four GW.
ADEME also outlined a number of economic and environmental benefits, should France expand its national solar business, especially for employment. According to the agency, there are "numerous French companies that are dedicated to the development of technologies of innovative manufacturing (cells, modules and electronics)."
French solar industries association, Enerplan, wants to take ADEME's proposal a step further, and raise the PV target to 20 GW. "The best way to achieve the competitiveness of the French PV industry is to provide it with a secured volume and a sustainable framework," Richard Loyen, Enerplan's general secretary argued.
Frances government decided last year to initiate a broad national discussion about the way the country should transform its energy system. President Francois Hollande announced that the percentage of energy generated from nuclear power would decrease to 50, from 75 by 2025.
Under the title "debat national sur la transition energetique," the public and stakeholders will debate until July how the energy demand shall be met in the future. These opinions and recommendations are expected to be integrated into a new energy law, which is expected to be introduced to the French parliament this autumn.
Edited by Becky Beetz.
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