General Framework

In France the solar resource is generally very good, however most other forms of energy are low cost and abundant. Photovoltaic (PV) power systems are not cost competitive with conventional technologies as a base load source. Nevertheless several factors triggered the development of a competitive industry:

1. a few well-motivated small and medium companies,
2. a tradition of public research in solar energy,
3. a demand for a diversification of energy sources in French Overseas Départements (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion, Guyane) where energy is expensive to produce and
4. the entry of the national electricity utility Électricité de France (EDF) into the field in 1993.

During the last four years, the French photovoltaic module manufacturers and the photovoltaic system companies which pioneered the field took advantage of new French public financial incentives to respond to a growth of demand and also seized the opportunity of the implementation of new rural electrification programmes abroad.
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National Programme

The ADEME's promotion strategy is twofold:

• to support research and technological development (RTD) on PV components, photovoltaic systems and applications;
• to subsidize demonstration and dissemination projects.

ADEME's four-years RTD programme on PV system components aim at reducing their manufacturing costs and improving their performance and their reliability. Specific targets according to projects have been negotiated with industry. The implementation of pilot projects to demonstrate the technical validity and viability of solar photovoltaic electricity prepared the basis for larger dissemination projects that now make use of various public financing schemes. The European Commission also contributed to the RTD and demonstration/dissemination of photovoltaics in France. ADEME has put in place mechanisms for promoting national cooperation between industry and public research and share the financial costs (up to 50%) of applied research and technological development projects on all the components of PV systems and their application. ADEME also provides information pertaining to photovoltaics to target groups such as utilities, industry, government, local/regional authorities and other users and has developed operator and user training courses for photovoltaic power systems. An annual workshop on PV systems issues (11 July 2000) and a seminar on materials and processes (21-22 November 2000) at the ADEME's Centre in Sophia-Antipolis allowed the French photovoltaic community to exchange technical information and to assess novelty of approaches. On the international scene, ADEME sponsored the first photovoltaic hybrid power systems conference organized by Genec in Aixen-Provence (7-8 September 2000).

ADEME also participates with its partners in international activities such as those of the International Energy Agency (IEA) cooperative programme on photovoltaic power systems or those of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) for standardization.
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Research and Technological Development

Main goals of ADEME's RTD programme are cost reduction for photovoltaic cells and modules by decreasing their manufacturing costs and by increasing their conversion efficiencies through innovative manufacturing processes or technical optimization of existing low cost processes. The ADEME's programme is also geared to the improvement of photovoltaic system components and system applications. Reducing costs, increasing reliability and efficiency of storage lead-acid batteries, charge regulators, inverters, hybrid PV/diesel systems, pumping devices, etc. are part of the programme activities.

Photowatt International focuses its technological development on manufacturing process steps: the 4-years "PV-16" RTD project partially funded by ADEME aims at reducing cell/module manufacturing cost by a factor of two, increase conversion efficiency of larger cells to 16% and reduce thickness of wafers by a factor of two. Innovative applied research carried out by public laboratories of CNRS and Universities in cooperation with industry include bulk and surface passivation of cells, selective emitters, studies on impurity-defect interactions, high yield continuous casting of multicrystalline silicon ingots and rapid thermal CVD processing. New projects on feedstock silicon started to be investigated such as purification with a combination of electromagnetic techniques and inductive plasma torch.

Thin layers of (micro or poly-)crystalline silicon or so-called poly-morphous (a mixture of amorphous and microcrystalline) silicon material deposited on foreign substrates (glass, ceramic) are a priority topic for CNRS public research laboratories (involved in a jointly funded CNRS-ADEME multidisciplinary research programme called ECODEV). Several deposition techniques are investigated: rapid thermal CVD using trichlorosilane, plasma enhanced CVD, hot-wire catalytic CVD, inductive plasma torch deposition and liquid phase deposition on ceramic substrate.

In the year 2000, two research projects funded by ADEME have been undertaken. First, thin film polycrystalline CuInGaSe2/CdS materials and devices prepared by electrodeposition on glass substrate are studied by a consortium of research teams including EDF, CNRS-LEAA and Saint-Gobain-Recherche. Electrodeposition processing has been chosen for its low cost potential compared to co-evaporation. Second, a project carried out by CEA-LETI in cooperation with the CNRS-LPM laboratory of INSA-Lyon intends to demonstrate the feasibility of reporting a thin layer of single-crystal silicon to a foreign substrate to prepare a cell of high conversion efficiency (20%).

In addition, ADEME supports small and medium size photovoltaic companies in developing new products for domestic and export markets. Companies such as Apex and Total Énergie have developed microprocessor-based energy management units that not only incorporate battery charge/discharge controllers but also new functions with varying degrees of sophistication and built in diagnostics including advanced data logging and remote communication capabilities. Decentralized lighting pre-payment systems and electronic heat-proof devices received development attention (Transénergie). Such devices are used in pilot dissemination projects in France and abroad. Other developments include high performance water pumping devices and a range of inverters to respond to various photovoltaic applications.

Specific studies and testing of photovoltaic components including PV modules (energy rating approach), lead-acid storage batteries ageing and other PV related products are an important part of the ADEME's programme. Hybrid PV/diesel village power systems are studied by Genec and Armines for testing and standardization purposes. Other studies carried out by Genec, EDF and partners contribute to the drafting of International Energy Agency's reports on recommended practices (IEA  PVPS cooperative programme, Tasks 1, 2, 3 and 9) and pre-normative work that feed elaboration of international Standards within the International Electrotechnical Commission/Technical Committee 82 (IEC/TC82). A good example is the international recognition of ADEME-EDF's Specifications for the use of renewable energies in decentralized rural electrification by the IEC to become an IEC-PAS document bearing the number 62111. On that topic a new IEC joint coordination group (TC82/TC88/TC21/SC21A) led by EDF was set up in 2000 with the objective of preparing a document intended to be used as an international reference in assessing the quality of the service to the end users. The ADEME's public budget for photovoltaic RTD was 5 MEUR in 2000.

During the year 2000, Atomic Energy Commissariat (CEA) decided to be more involved in photovoltaics announced that cell research and system activity would be carried out under the umbrella of Genec laboratory with an increase of manpower.
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Implementation

Photovoltaic rural electrification programmes are financed up to 95% with FACE fund. FACE (Fund for amortization of electrification costs) is a public fund traditionally devoted to extending and reinforcing electricity networks in French rural areas. So far, around 22 MEUR of FACE fund were allocated to install PV systems in rural areas. At this stage, 1 306 installations have received FACE agreement (900 kW). For a number of rural electrification projects where FACE fund does not apply, ADEME, EDF and Regional Authorities provide financial support. A Tax exemption scheme in Overseas Départements such as Guadeloupe has also substantially contributed to market growth: ADEME, EDF, Regional Authorities and European Commission grant this PV system. In 2000, the PV systems' turnkey price was down from 27 EUR/W to about 20 EUR/W for typical 1 000 W autonomous PV power systems. This price includes house wiring, a storage battery shed and a 15-years guarantee of service (storage battery replacement after 7 years). The 4 year FACE fund programme avoided 115 MEUR of line extension and saved 82 MEUR to the community. A database called ISIS was developed in cooperation with EDF, ADEME and Technosolar (French association of installers and engineering companies) to store information about stand-alone systems installed under FACE fund. Each site is described by more than 300 different data. The objective is to improve knowledge about users, get technical feedback on system sizing and about users' profiles and energy needs. In parallel, a technical, economical and sociological audit of rural electrification projects funded by ADEME and EDF took place in the year 2000 and preliminary results allowed to detect successes and difficulties that will be taken into account in future installations.

A new initiative took place by the end of 1999, when ADEME decided that grid-connection of photovoltaic power systems would be able to receive public funding within an European demonstration project called "HIP-HIP". The objective is to install 500 kW in 3 years at 5 EUR/W with the following subsidy: 35% from the European Commission and 15% from ADEME. The PV electricity is purchased by EDF at 0,096 EUR/kWh. The annual 2000 public budget for market implementation was around 9 MEUR.
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Industry Status

Photowatt International is a fast growing company that produces the thinnest screen printed multicrystalline photovoltaic cells available on the market, and makes modules in the peak power range of 10 W, 50 W, 75 W and 100 W with 25-years warranty. The company is ISO 9002 certified and holds the IEC Certificate of Approval of electronic component manufacturer. In 1998/1999, Photowatt increased their investment in RTD and production capacity, expanding their ingot casting and wafering facilities and installing a new automated cell manufacturing line. Photowatt increased PV wafer and PV cell to reach the level of 14 MW in 2000. Cell manufacturing capacity is 20 MW per year with the new automated line set up in 1999.

Free Energy Europe S.A. manufactures hydrogenated amorphous silicon modules on glass substrate (maximum size 30 cm x 90 cm) with stabilized peak power of 1,8 W, 4 W, 6 W and 12 W and a range of product systems (lighting kit, etc.). Module annual production is around 500 kW with a manufacturing capacity of 1 MW per year.

Solems S.A. is a small enterprise specialized in small-size custom-designed amorphous silicon modules (maximum size 30 cm x 30 cm) for low power applications.

Concerning other photovoltaic components than modules, the companies Total Énergie and Apex manufacture a range of PV system components and applications (multifunction energy management and control devices, small PV personal electrification systems, pre-payment devices, hybrid systems for rural electrification, pumping systems, inverters, etc.). Transénergie, Cythélia, PHK, IED, SERT and Tecsol are active companies of consulting engineers specialized in PV technology and project management. They participate in strategic, feasibility and marketing studies funded by the European Commission, development banks, utilities and ADEME.

Battery manufacturers have designed storage batteries that are more suitable for the charging regimes associated with photovoltaic and hybrid applications. CEAC/Fulmen Company is developing with photovoltaic system firms and Genec new concepts of energy management of photovoltaic lead-acid storage batteries.

Électricité de France (EDF) plays a role in remote area power supply markets. The agreement signed in 1993 between ADEME and EDF, to promote the use of PV in sectors where it proved to be commercially viable, allowed photovoltaic power systems to access to a public source of subsidy called FACE. By the beginning of 2000, EDF acknowledged that photovoltaic electricity would be paid 0,096 euro per kilowatt-hour (corresponding to net metering system) to the on-grid PV system owners.

EDF started in 1996 the ADEN programme (renewed in 1999 and called ADEN2) with two aims: a) to improve the reliability of the PV technology and b) to propose a range of standardized rural electrification systems able to respond to the requirements of various types of users. Within the so-called POLLEN programme is the study by EDF, ADEME and theirs industry partners of the conceptual development of commercial companies selling energy services in developing countries. The purpose of the designed model is to assess the needs, to evaluate system costs and sizing and to elaborate a business plan in relation to the users' financial resources.
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Market Development

Until the end of 1999, grid-connected PV domestic power systems were not promoted by ADEME and EDF as a priority but a private initiative of a user's association installed around 230 "PV roofs" in the peak-power range of 1 kW with partial funding from the European Commission. For this limited number of installations the electric meter was allowed to turn backwards. In the North of France, Regional Authorities introduced within their "green building" projects built-integrated photovoltaic power systems in their newly built secondary schools (6 kW range). Several other buildings are planned. By the beginning of 2000, ADEME set up a targeted demonstration programme on dispersed on-grid built-integrated photovoltaic systems in cooperation with European Commission programme (DG TREN) aiming at installing in continental France 500 kW in three years.

ADEME is involved in decentralized rural electrification cooperation projects in Morocco (training programmes), selected African countries and Indonesia (Transindo project of 4 hybrid PV/diesel village power systems).
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Future Outlook

By the end of 2000, ADEME started negotiation with the Ministry of Industry on higher photovoltaic electricity buy back rates in order to implement a new dissemination programme as it is expected by the French renewable energy professional association SER. At the international level, ADEME was involved in the G8 Task force in charge of proposing a renewable energy strategy to the eight industrialized countries Head of states.
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Further reading about France

• France - Country information