Advanced Renewable Tariffs in France
January 29, 2010
Under the French system of Advanced Renewable Tariffs, solar PV projects are limited to no more than 12 MW. See the official documents for a description. Projects cannot be located any closer to each other than 0.5 km to prevent gaming the system. This restriction may be revisited in Grenelle 2 in the summer of 2009.
When the program was launched in 2001, wind was also limited to no more than 12 MW per project. This restriction was lifted in the 2006 revisions for wind projects in zone de développement de l'éolien.
Why 12 MW is the limit has more to do with French post-war history and the French labor movement than any particular technical reason.
My thanks to Bernard Chabot for the explanation and for most of the links below.
- 2010 French Tariffs Raise Price for Solar, Geothermal, and Biomass--France has introduced new feed-in tariffs for 2010. These include substantially higher geothermal, biomass, and building integrated solar PV tariffs than in 2009. . .
- Some Facts on the Electricity Heating Crisis in France December 2009--Two excellent documents have been released by the Association négaWatt in France. These reflect on the electricity crisis in France during the cold spell just prior to Christmas, 2009 caused by the unchecked growth of electric heating. . .
- Conservative French Government Again Proposes Higher Solar PV Tariffs--For the second time within twelve months the French Government of conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy has proposed raising the feed-in tariff for solar PV in the coming year. . .
- European Union Directive on Renewable Energy 23 April 2009--The Directive binds EU members to renewable energy targets. The target for France is 23% of final energy consumption, that is, heat, electricity, and liquid fuels, by 2020.
- Grenelle de l'environnement (1) 3 August 2009--French law acknowledging the 23% renewable target and specifically lists a target for wind energy of 25,000 MW, and for Solar PV of 5,300 MW by 2020. These targets are so high that analysts consider that France has no cap on the contribution of wind and solar PV in the mid term.
- EU Template for National Renewable Energy Action Plans under Directive 2009/28/EC--France will have to submit a detailed plan by June 2010 for how it plans to meet its EU renewable targets.
- Background on and Publications of Bernard Chabot, Engineer
- Development of Renewable Energies: What Contribution from the Carbon Market Cécile Bordier, Caisse des Dépôts, December 2008 (Report includes the overcost from the French system of Advanced Renewable Tariffs and compares the overcost to that in Great Britain.)
- Higher Solar Feed-in Tariffs Part of Aggressive New French PV Program
- French Solar Industry Calls for Higher Feed-in Tariffs
- France Implements New Renewable Tariffs for Solar, Wind, and Biogas July, 2006
- Fair
and Efficient Rates for Large Scale Development of Wind Power: the New
French Solution by Bernard Chabot & Bernard Saulnier (doc)
- French Renewable Tariff Law en Francais
- Advanced Tariff Systems for Rapid Uptake of Renewable Energy and the French Experience by Bernard Chabot (pdf)
- Some Characterstics and Lessons from the French Renewable Tariffs by Bernard Chabot (ppt)
- Defining advanced wind energy tariffs systems to specific locations and applications:
lessons from the French tariff system and examples
(doc)
- French Electricity FeedLaw for Wind Energy en français
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