Whilst the solar sector has seen a marked acceleration in recent years, it faces a number of challenges: speeding up project development whilst ensuring robust contractual arrangements, integrating more storage within a business model that is still taking shape, rolling out certain innovations – particularly for the decarbonisation of industrial processes – and addressing energy security challenges by securing supply chains.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), photovoltaics is now the fastest-growing electricity generation technology in the world. In France, more than 22 GW of solar capacity had been installed by early 2026, whilst the Multi-Annual Energy Plan (PPE) sets a target of up to 80 GW by 2035 in the most ambitious scenarios. The South Region, with nearly 2.9 GW of photovoltaic capacity already installed and solar potential among the highest in the country, is set to play a major role in this trend, both in terms of project development and the innovation and industrialisation of the sector.
This path involves a significant increase in scale, both in terms of investment and in terms of the ability to overcome structural barriers, such as connection times, the complexity of procedures and land-use constraints.
It was against this backdrop that Capenergies’ latest Innov’Solaire Club took place, bringing together around thirty stakeholders from the ecosystem online to share their experiences, projects and analyses of developments in the sector, with a particular focus on trends in the South region.
An industry undergoing major change
In addition to the national and European news items presented at the start, the discussions highlighted structural changes within the solar sector.
Having long focused on the development of solar power stations, the market is now moving towards more integrated approaches, combining energy generation, storage, industrial decarbonisation and new business models. At the same time, regulatory, environmental and contractual requirements are becoming stricter, making project development an increasingly complex undertaking.
The three presentations in this edition perfectly illustrated this development.
Decarbonising industry through concentrated solar power
The first highlight of the match, ALTO Solution, a Capenergies-certified company, presented its concentrated solar thermal technology for industrial applications:
- Because we use three times as much heat as electricity worldwide (51% vs 17%)
- Because manufacturers are actively seeking renewable heat
Through the Coq Noir project, developed in the agri-food sector, Mehdi Berrada (CEO and founder) has demonstrated how this solution enables the production of high-temperature renewable heat and can replace up to 75 % of gas consumption in certain industrial processes.
Whilst heating accounts for nearly half of French industry’s energy consumption, this type of solution offers a practical way to accelerate the decarbonisation of sectors whose needs cannot be met through electrification alone.
New business models to speed up projects
The expansion of photovoltaic installations also depends on the ability to overcome the financial constraints faced by many manufacturers and businesses.
Mathieu Labelle, Business Developer at GreenYellow France highlighted the growing role of third-party investment models in the roll-out of solar and energy storage projects.
By taking responsibility for the financing, development and, in some cases, even the operation of the facilities, these models enable companies to roll out projects whilst minimising the amount of capital required. This approach facilitates the adoption of solar solutions, particularly for industrial and service sector organisations, and helps to accelerate their roll-out across the country.
Legal matters: a key factor in the success of projects
Although often underestimated in the early stages of a project, the legal framework is nevertheless one of the key factors determining the success of a solar project.
In his speech, Alix-Anne Sauret, a lawyer at the Marseille Bar, pointed out that a project’s performance does not depend solely on its technical design or its economic viability.
Administrative authorisations, land tenure security, contracts, stakeholder responsibilities and regulatory changes: these are all aspects that must be anticipated well in advance in order to minimise risks and safeguard projects in the long term.
This presentation highlighted the fact that the development of renewable energy now requires an increasingly cross-disciplinary skill set, at the intersection of engineering, finance and law.
Fostering dialogue between stakeholders to accelerate the transition
Beyond the presentations, this latest edition of the Innov’Solaire Club served above all to confirm the importance of forums for discussion between the various stakeholders in the sector.
In a constantly evolving sector, faced with increasingly complex industrial, economic and regulatory challenges, sharing lessons learnt is a key driver for accelerating innovation, fostering the development of new projects and promoting best practice.
Thank you to all the speakers and participants for the fruitful discussions that characterised this latest edition of the Innov’Solaire Club.
See you at the next Innov’Solaire club meeting on 16 September 2026!
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