The French government has issued a decree detailing the solar obligation for parking lots that has been in force since 2023, including the associated penalties. Under the regulations, all parking lots of 1,500 square metres or more must be at least 50 percent covered with solar panels.
Calculating the area
When calculating the area, not only the parking spaces themselves are counted, but also traffic routes and other sections of the lot. Green spaces, storage areas, and zones for logistics, loading and unloading are excluded. Areas used for parking vehicles carrying dangerous goods are also not considered parking spaces.
If there are several parking spaces next to each other, the respective operators can agree that the joint parking area is counted as a whole. This means that at least half of this joint parking area must be covered by a solar roof and not each area individually.
Solar roofs provide shade and solar power
Exceptions regulated
The solar obligation does not apply if the technical or geological requirements are not met or if there are conservation reasons to the contrary. The solar obligation may also be waived if there is too much shade from trees or if the solar radiation is too low to operate a photovoltaic system economically. The parking lot operator must prove that the installation of a solar system is impossible or uneconomical. Parking lots exclusively used for vehicles with a total weight of more than 3.5 tons are also currently exempt.
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Implementation by 2028 at the latest
This regulation has been in force since 1 July 2023, with transitional periods for smaller parking lots. For example, lots of at least 10,000 square metres must be fitted with a solar system by 1 July 2026. For lots between 1,500 and 10,000 square metres, the deadline is 1 July 2028. However, departments can still set separate transitional periods.
Penalties loom
Parking lot operators who fail to meet the solar obligation face steep penalties. Operators of parking lots up to 10,000 square metres may be fined up to 20,000 euros per year, while larger lots can incur fines of up to 40,000 euros annually until compliance is fulfilled.
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The new decree also covers cases where a parking lot operator assigns the solar installation to a third party – for example through a tender – but the project is not carried out or is delayed. All specific provisions are outlined in Decree 2024-1023, available online in the Official Journal of the French Republic. (su)
