France eases rules to connect solar projects with battery storage
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The French government is taking steps to speed up the adoption of renewable energy and manage electricity demand more efficiently. Spokesperson Maud Bregeon announced plans to simplify grid connections for solar-plus-storage projects up to 25 MW, raising the previous 17 MW limit while maintaining a 17 MW maximum power injection rate.
The government believes smart energy management in homes, particularly heating, hot water, and electric vehicle charging, holds significant potential, estimating cost savings of up to 35%.
From 2027, France will require smart-control capabilities for heat pump subsidies, potentially saving households €150 to €200 annually. It also intends to ensure new EV charging infrastructure includes smart-control functions, potentially saving €70 to €100 per year. The government plans to leverage existing Linky smart meters, already installed nationwide, to better manage household energy use and encourage integration with home energy management systems. Several energy companies are also making commitments.
Gimelec aims to enable 6 GW of flexibility in commercial buildings, while EDF plans to remotely control energy use in five million homes by 2030. Neoen and NW Group have pledged to deploy 1 GW and 1.5 GW of flexibility capacity respectively by 2030, and Octopus Energy France aims to manage 1.5 million connected devices, potentially supporting a new heat pump manufacturing facility.
