France’s Solar Canopy Push: Progress, But Most Parking Lots Still Bare

A survey of nearly 17,000 French retail sites found solar canopies on just 8 to 10 percent of store parking areas, according to mapping service Parksun, which reviewed aerial imagery from 2023 to 2026 across 16,790 locations.

The figures reflect canopies visible in photographs rather than a measure of legal compliance; some sites may hold valid extensions. French law requires photovoltaic structures to cover at least half of any open parking area once it exceeds the 1,500-square-metre mark. The first wave of deadlines passed on 1 July 2026, though penalties — up to €40,000 per year for the largest sites and €20,000 for smaller ones — take effect only after a formal order from a departmental prefect.

Among food retail sites whose car parks measure at least 10,000 square metres, 1,456 of 1,713 sites had no visible canopy at the time of analysis, roughly 85 percent of the category. Installation rates are nevertheless accelerating. The proportion of surveyed lots showing panels rose from 4.5 percent in 2023 imagery to 6.7 percent by 2025, reaching 9 percent in 2026 data. Among major grocery networks, E.Leclerc leads at 16.3 percent, followed by Systeme U at 15 percent; some chains remain close to 3 percent.

A further 5,960 mid-sized sites do not face their deadline until July 2028. Parksun also notes that some locations may have secured an extension to January 2028 by signing a contract before 30 June 2026.

The untapped potential is considerable: covering half of the 62.8 square kilometres of surveyed parking area would yield 6.3 GW of capacity and around 7 TWh of generation per year.

Source: PV Magazine