Solar Panels: Which Parking Lots Are Mandated to Have Them?

The renewable energy development law mandates solar panels on parking lots exceeding 2,500 m². With charging stations?

We now see daily on our TV, radio, or web news that France is experiencing a shortage of electricity this winter. A shortage largely due to numerous nuclear reactors being under maintenance. Meanwhile, insufficient renewable energies cannot compensate for the necessary TWh. Additionally, the goal is to make the electricity for electric cars greener and to adapt production to a wave of new vehicles that are regularly recharged.

Solar panels on your supermarket parking lots

The new law aimed at accelerating renewable energy production goes in this direction. In this law, discussed in the National Assembly this week, Article 11 is of great importance. It could change the landscape of commercial and public areas in France because it will require large parking lots to be covered with solar panels.

Already, the energy and climate law of 2019 required new parking areas over 1,000 m² to cover “30% of the roof or canopy surface with solar panels or green roofs.” This surface threshold was lowered to 500 m² by a new regulation in 2021.

Now, the new law includes parking lots over 2,500 m² that must cover at least half of their surface with solar panels starting July 1, 2023. Older parking lots over 10,000 m² will have until July 1, 2026, to comply, while those between 2,500 and 10,000 m² have until July 1, 2028.

For example, SNCF has already announced that 119 stations will have panels by the end of 2024. Disneyland did so as early as 2020, and Le Mans deployed 15,000 m² of panels last spring.

Panels accompanied by charging stations?

Surprisingly, the mandatory installation of solar panels and charging stations never appear together in the law. A missed opportunity, as this could turn large parking lots into places for both production and consumption of green electricity.

Electric vehicles— and plug-in hybrids— could find local, low-cost energy there. Of course, this would involve significant additional costs, beyond the solar equipment.

But remember that parking lots already have an obligation to provide a minimum number of charging outlets every 20 parking spaces. This measure will be enforced starting January 1, 2025, in France.

Also read: The parking of the future surpasses charging stations (electric) in Paris