France

French company Dal’Alu has developed a high-capacity aluminum gutter designed to efficiently collect and channel rainwater from large roofs and solar panels. Its on-site profiling, modular components, and durable construction reportedly ensure rapid installation, long-term performance, and compliance with current building standards.

At a major battery project, RTE and Neoen are trialing an inverter retrofit, marking a first for grid-forming services on France’s transmission network.

France’s fourth PV tender for non-interconnected areas allocated 40 MW across Corsica, Réunion, and French Guiana. The weighted average tariff fell to €92.04 ($107.59)/MWh, while overall subscription remained well below the 99 MW available.

An international research group has conducted a literature review of capital expenditure-driven levelized cost of electricity optimization strategies for utility-scale PV systems. Tracking optimization, system voltage escalation, and advanced system design are identified as the most promising cost reduction areas. “The next wave of PV research must be LCOE-native, system-level, and deployment-validated,” a member of the research group said.

France’s energy regulator says wider use of flexible grid connections is becoming essential as solar and battery projects compete for limited network capacity, with storage connection queues now totaling 2.8 GW.

Axen, Syensqo and IFPEN establish new company to produce high performance sulfide solid electrolytes for solid-state batteries in Europe. New company Argylium will develop its electrolyte portfolio at facilities in France.

France-based DOTSun has developed an on-site repair solution for solar panels with degraded backsheets, compatible with PA, PVDF, and PET types. The system uses a compact laminator to apply a protective film to the rear side of the module, reportedly restoring insulation and extending the service life of up to 2,000 panels per site.

Storio Energy has enabled behind-the-meter (BTM) industrial battery systems to participate in the automatic Frequency Restoration Reserve (aFRR), a service that has until now been dominated by front-of-the-meter storage in France.

AleaSoft Energy Forecasting’s latest analysis finds Germany broke its record for solar production on a day in December on Christmas Day, reaching 87 GWh, while Italy and France achieved the same feat three days later, registering 66 GWh and 54 GWh respectively.

Accelerated testing by French certification body Certisolis finds wide performance divergence and design vulnerabilities in tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar modules that current international standards do not capture.