France mandates solar panels on large car parks for green push

Large car parks, with an area exceeding 1,480 square metres, must be equipped with photovoltaic installations, known as carports. This is the result of a decree introduced by the French government. The new regulations in France cover both new and existing car parks. Managers of those with a capacity of 80–400 cars have five years (until 2028) to comply with the requirements, while owners of car parks with more than 400 cars have only three years (until 2026).

Those who fail to install the panels within the designated time will have to pay fines amounting to €50 per parking space for each month of delay. In the case of smaller car parks, the fine is a minimum €5,000 per day, and for larger ones, the amounts will start at €20,000 daily (monthly over €600,000), which will certainly be a significant burden on the budget.

An important requirement is that at least half of the car park's area be covered with solar panels. Exemptions are made for car parks intended for lorries weighing more than 8 tonnes and those located in historical city centres. The new regulations have advantages: The solar panel canopies will provide shade for vehicles, protecting them from overheating on hot days.

The introduction of regulations concerning the installation of photovoltaics in car parks aligns with President Emmanuel Macron's plan to increase solar energy production in the country tenfold. The French government estimates that the new regulations will allow for the generation of up to 11 GW of additional renewable power, equivalent to the power of about 10 nuclear reactors.

Will similar regulations take place in Poland? For now, the government doesn't have these plans, which doesn't mean photovoltaic investments in the country are decreasing. According to the latest data from the Energy Market Agency, the installed photovoltaic capacity in Poland at the end of October 2024 was 20.5 GW, marking a nearly 30 percent increase compared to the previous year. Solar panels also account for over 60 percent of renewable energy sources in Poland, and the average PV installation had around 26 kW in October. According to the Energy Market Agency, the largest photovoltaic power plant is located in Zwartowo in the Pomeranian region (204 MW – Respect Energy).

The use of carports is also a strategy adopted by giants such as Bentley Motors and Disneyland Paris. Bentley completed a project in 2019 in the United Kingdom for 1,378 parking spaces with 10,000 panels generating 2.7 MW, which is expected to cover 24 percent of the company's energy needs and reduce CO2 emissions.

Disneyland Paris will complete another solar power plant this year on a large car park for over 11,000 vehicles, which will be covered with 82,000 photovoltaic panels, producing 36 GWh of energy annually, equivalent to the consumption of a city with 17,400 inhabitants.

An interesting fact is that the Walt Disney Company already boasts a Mickey Mouse-shaped solar farm in Epcot, Florida, United States. The entire investment consists of 48,000 solar panels spread over 8.9 hectares. From a bird's eye view, the installation resembles Mickey Mouse.