France publishes bidding terms for new commercial solar tenders

France has published updated bidding terms for commercial and industrial (C&I) solar tenders, with 192 MW of capacity available in the first round from Sept. 22 to Oct. 2, 2025 – a sharp drop from previous development levels.

From pv magazine France

France's Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) has released the specifications for a new tender for photovoltaic systems on buildings or roofs ranging from 100 kW to 500 kW. The “simplified tender,” known as AOS or PPE2 Petit PV Bâtiment, replaces the ongoing S21 tender scheme.

Developers can submit bids for the first round between Sept. 22 and Oct. 2, 2025. Five additional rounds are planned for 2026.

The first round will allocate 192 MW, marking a sharp drop from previous expansion levels. The government attributes the cut to targets being “significantly exceeded” in recent years, said CRE.

A total of 768 MW is scheduled for the five rounds in 2026, pending any changes. This would be well below the capacity installed under the S21 framework in 2024. CRE said developers need clarity on future volumes and supports smoothing out the surplus of new capacity expected in 2025 across multiple years.

Future volumes will reflect recent contract applications submitted under tenders, the objectives of the upcoming national energy strategy known as PPE3, and subscription rates from similar building tenders.

The cap price for the first round is set at €0.095 ($0.110)/kWh, regardless of whether the photovoltaic system is on an existing building, new construction, or a similar structure. The Collective for the Defense of Photovoltaics (CDPF) criticized the flat rate, saying pricing should vary with project complexity.

The required security deposit is €10,000, to be issued to the state by a credit institution, insurer or guarantee company, or deposited with the Caisse des dépôts et consignations (CDC).

From Jan. 1, 2026, the tender specifications will include a resilience criterion aligned with the implementing acts of Article 26 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1735, known as the Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA). To qualify, bids must use photovoltaic modules with at least three resilience components – including cells and modules – and resilient inverters.