France to support BIPV solar tiles with additional incentives

From pv magazine France

Barbara Pompili, the French minister of ecological transition, recently announced new bonus incentives for BIPV projects during a visit to a Sunstyle factory that plans to make 1 GW of “Made in France” solar tiles by 2025.

During the manufacturing facility's opening ceremony, Pompili said that the government plans to award an additional incentive – a special bonus paid on top of feed-in tariffs – for the building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) sector.

“Solar power on buildings benefits from a feed-in tariff that is revised every quarter,” she said. “To support the sector, we have decided to significantly limit the price reduction this quarter. But the development of solar roofs is also a question of aesthetics. That is why I am proud to announce that we are going to give a boost to the BIPV sector with the granting of a bonus for those who will choose these technologies in 2020 and 2021.”

Eric Scotto, president of Sunstyle International, said the company will increase production at the plant to 1 GW of solar tiles by 2025.

“I am convinced of the relevance of BIPV for the energy transition,” Scotto said. “We hope to contribute more quickly to the achievement of our climate objectives throughout the territory, as well as to the creation of new jobs that cannot be relocated.”

Sunstyle tiles combine two functions in a single product: waterproof roofing and energy production. They are small enough (870 mm x 870 mm) to allow for quick and easy installation. The black tiles offer 115 W of power output, while the colored variants provide 85 W.

Germany's TÜV Rheinland has certified the tech. It has also been approved by the Scientific and Technical Centre for Building (CSTB), in line with French and international specifications for construction and building components.

Sunstyle has joined forces with Banque des Territoires to offer public and private stakeholders a third-party financing mechanism to build or renovate their rooftops.

“A third-party financing solution will accelerate the deployment of these tools,” said Emmanuel Legrand, director of Banque des Territoires' energy unit, which provides financial support for projects.

Compagnie Française des Expositions (Cofrex) recently selected the tiles for the rooftops and facades of the France Pavilion at the next Dubai World Expo, which will run from Oct. 1, 2021, to March 2022.