Photovoltaic news and pv jobs

France publishes PV FIT bonus details

The French government has published details of its 10% FIT bonus for PV systems produced in the European Union. In other news, French energy giant EDF has reportedly announced the construction of a new photovoltaic production site for Photowatt.

Some ground mounted photovoltaic installations can expect to receive retroactive bonuses of 10%.

Sonnedix

Without any substantial changes to the details announced at the beginning of the year, the French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy has officially published the particulars under which PV systems in France may obtain a FIT bonus of up to 10%.

As described in the Journal Oficiel, a bonus of 5% will be paid if all the manufacturing processes from wafers to cells, or from cells to modules, including electrical testing are located within the EU. 10% will be paid if both requirements are met, or if one of the processes is combined  with European-based ingot to wafer manufacturing.

Thin film modules produced entirely in the EU – from semi-conductor layering to electrical testing – will also benefit from a 10% bonus.

The bonuses will be paid to all PV sub-sectors qualified to receive a FIT, including roof-integrated systems, simplified integrated systems and for a certain amount of ground-mounted installations.

The bonus came into effect on February 1 for all systems, apart from for ground-mounted installations. In this instance, the bonus will be retroactively applied from October 1, 2012.

In terms of FITs, the regular tariff for rooftop-integrated systems up to 9 kW amounts, from February, to 31.59 euro cents per kWh. Meanwhile, for systems up to 36 kW, 18.17 euro cents will be paid. PV power plants between 36 and 100 kW will receive 17.27 euro cents per kWh, and the FIT for all other plants is 8.18 euro cents.

PV manufacturing

In other news, national media has reported that French energy group Electricité de France (EDF) wants to construct a new photovoltaic production site for its recently acquired subsidiary, Photowatt.

The new factory is expected to be located close to Photowatt’s existing one in the Rhones-Alpes region, and be operational from this autumn EDF ENR declined to comment on the news. The company took Photowatt over during insolvency proceedings last year. 

Edited by Becky Beetz.