France introduces cybersecurity, sustainability requirements in solar tenders - pv magazine International

From pv magazine France The French government this week published the calendar for wind and solar energy auctions in 2026. The tender for commercial and industrial photovoltaic systems ranging from 100 kW to 500 kW is scheduled for July 2026, with a total capacity of 288 MWp. For the first time, this tender will include ground-mounted installations, no longer being limited to rooftop PV systems. In the same month, French authorities will also launch the tender for ground-mounted PV projects over 500 kW, targeting a total capacity of 925 MW. Separately, work is underway on procedures for a tender supporting PV systems across all technologies, with a planned publication in autumn 2026. To bolster industrial and energy sovereignty, the government has revised PV tenders to encourage competitive solar projects with a more diversified supply chain, supporting the growth of both French and European industry. A resilience criterion will be introduced in the next tender round. Under this criterion, a portion of essential PV panel components must come from diversified sources to reduce reliance on a single third country, such as China. In the medium term, this requirement will be complemented by stricter sustainability and cybersecurity standards. These measures align with the European Net Zero Industries Act (NZIA), which aims to relocate low-carbon technology production to Europe.  Do you want to strengthen and enhance the cyber security of your solar energy assets to safeguard them against emerging threats? Join us on Apr. 29 for pv magazine Webinar+ | Decoding the first massive cyberattack on Europe’s solar energy infrastructure – The Poland case and lessons learned Industry experts will explore real-world cyberattack scenarios, highlight potential vulnerabilities in solar and storage systems, and share practical, actionable strategies to protect your energy assets. Attendees will gain valuable knowledge on how to anticipate, prevent, and respond to cyber threats in the rapidly evolving solar energy sector.   This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com. Popular content Midea unveils PV-compatible indoor heat pump for space-constrained residential applications 02 APRIL 2026 Midea has launched a compact indoor air-source heat pump for retrofit and space-constrained homes. The R290-based system offers up to 4.45 kW output...