France introduces cybersecurity, sustainability requirements in solar tenders

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From pv magazine France

The French government this week published the calendar for wind and solar energy auctions in 2026.

The tender for commercial and industrial photovoltaic systems ranging from 100 kW to 500 kW is scheduled for July 2026, with a total capacity of 288 MWp. For the first time, this tender will include ground-mounted installations, no longer being limited to rooftop PV systems.

In the same month, French authorities will also launch the tender for ground-mounted PV projects over 500 kW, targeting a total capacity of 925 MW. Separately, work is underway on procedures for a tender supporting PV systems across all technologies, with a planned publication in autumn 2026.

To bolster industrial and energy sovereignty, the government has revised PV tenders to encourage competitive solar projects with a more diversified supply chain, supporting the growth of both French and European industry. A resilience criterion will be introduced in the next tender round.

Under this criterion, a portion of essential PV panel components must come from diversified sources to reduce reliance on a single third country, such as China. In the medium term, this requirement will be complemented by stricter sustainability and cybersecurity standards. These measures align with the European Net Zero Industries Act (NZIA), which aims to relocate low-carbon technology production to Europe.

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