France has awarded 326 rooftop solar projects with a combined capacity of 300.2 MW under the 12th round of its competitive procurement program for commercial and industrial (C&I)  installations.

According to the Commission de régulation de l’énergie (CRE), the auction covered solar installations on buildings, agrivoltaic greenhouses, canopies, and agrivoltaic canopies with capacities exceeding 500 kWp. The tender attracted 1,221 bids.

The weighted-average awarded tariff fell to €82.98 (~$94.85)/MWh from €96.48 (~$110.28)/MWh in the previous auction round, representing a decline of €13.50 (~$15.4)/MWh, or about 14%.

CRE attributed the high subscription rate in the auction primarily to the increase in applications for projects below 1 MW. These projects accounted for 807 bids, representing 70% of all submissions, compared to 50% in the previous auction round.

According to the Statistical Data and Studies Department, France’s installed solar capacity reached 33 GW as of March 31, 2026, including 32.1 GW in mainland France.

Larger systems continued to account for a substantial share of capacity additions. Installations above 500 kW accounted for 30% of newly connected capacity but only 0.3% of new connections. Smaller systems below 9 kW accounted for 74% of all new installations but contributed 7% of newly added capacity.

In February this year, the French government launched its 3rd Multi-Year Energy Program to increase production of decarbonized, sovereign, and competitively priced energy in the country. The program aims to increase decarbonized energy generation from 544 TWh in 2025 to between 650 TWh and 693 TWh by 2035. It also aims to reduce fossil fuel consumption to approximately 330 TWh in 2035, down from 900 TWh recorded in 2023.

Last year, France’s Ministry of Energy Transition awarded a combined capacity of 507.7 MW across 36 solar projects under the fourth round of its technology-neutral renewables tender. The tender was floated for a total capacity of 500 MW.