How to Identify Photovoltaic Projects in France

How to Identify Photovoltaic Projects in France

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A Rapidly Expanding Sector

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The French photovoltaic sector is experiencing unprecedented growth. For several years, opportunities have multiplied for installers, engineering firms, and solar project developers, driven by national carbon neutrality goals, renewable energy acceleration zones  (read our article on REAZs), and budgets allocated by local authorities.

However, in recent months, increasing legal instability has weakened the industry and threatens this momentum — making it all the more strategic to quickly detect projects, tenders, and calls for expressions of interest  (read our article on photovoltaic CEIs) before your competitors do.

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Official Platforms for Public Procurement

The Public Procurement Code strictly regulates the publication of tenders based on their amount, which determines how visible opportunities are to economic operators (see our article dedicated to publicity rules and various platforms).

Here is a summary of the main principles:

1. The Code establishes different thresholds: no publication required below €40,000; adapted publicity between €40,000 and €90,000; and regulated publicity above €90,000.
   
   
2. Beyond the so-called “formal” thresholds, publication becomes mandatory in the BOAMP (French Official Bulletin of Public Procurement) and the OJEU (Official Journal of the European Union – TED platform).
   
   
3. Buyer profiles are dematerialized platforms where tenders are published and bids received, but their multiplicity makes monitoring complex.
   
   
4. Local authorities can use shared platforms (e.g., MEGALIS) or their own buyer profiles, forcing companies to monitor numerous sources

       5. In addition to legal announcement newspapers (471 in France), calls for expressions of interest or project proposals often fall outside the publicity rules, requiring even broader local monitoring.

The BOAMP and TED Europa centralize all French public tenders.
For photovoltaic projects, search under CPV codes 09331000 (solar panels) and 45310000 (electrical installation works).

Public buildings such as schools, administrative offices, and parking lots dominate the tenders — mostly for rooftop systems, solar carports, and ground-mounted plants on municipal land.

The State Procurement Platform  (APProch)  publishes upcoming consultations from ministries and national public institutions, allowing early anticipation. High schools, universities, and ministerial buildings regularly launch large-scale tenders, often grouped by region to optimize costs.

Each local authority has its own website where it publishes local consultations. Metropolises such as Lyon, Bordeaux, or Toulouse have developed dedicated portals listing their equipment projects.
This dispersion of sources makes structured monitoring essential to avoid missing opportunities.

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Information Sources Before Tender Publication

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In public procurement, anticipation is crucial: detecting a tender before its official publication allows for a more complete and competitive response. Entering the process too late means competitors already have an advantage, significantly reducing your chances of winning.

Municipal and departmental deliberations reveal projects months in advance. Available on local authority websites, they approve budgets, validate feasibility studies, and authorize consultations. Monitoring these decisions gives you a competitive edge over those waiting for the official tender.

The Regional Environmental Authority (MRAe) publishes opinions on large-scale photovoltaic projects (>1 MW) requiring an environmental impact assessment. These opinions are public and available on each region’s MRAe site — a valuable early indicator of upcoming opportunities.

MRAe and DREAL opinions are highly valuable because they:

• Identify project developers and potential subcontracting or partnership needs;
  
  
• Provide insight into competitors’ activities and market trends;
  
  
• Highlight regional decision patterns useful for your own projects.
  
  

The Renewable Energy Acceleration Zones (REAZs)  defined by municipalities since 2023, map priority areas for solar projects. Available at town halls or intermunicipal websites, they reveal local photovoltaic development intentions and allow for precise commercial targeting.

The prefectures’ official bulletins publish urban planning authorizations for solar projects — including building permits, beneficiaries, and technical characteristics. A goldmine for prospecting and competitive intelligence.

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Decoding Weak Territorial Signals

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Regional Planning and Sustainable Development Schemes  (SRADDETs) define photovoltaic production targets per region. Available on regional websites, they quantify solar ambitions and identify preferential development zones — guiding future investment decisions.

The Territorial Climate-Air-Energy Plans (PCAETs) of intermunicipalities outline concrete actions, including equipping public buildings with solar panels. Downloadable from community websites, they detail projected schedules and allocated budgets.

Finally, public inquiries for major solar projects, announced several weeks in advance, disclose project developers, full technical details, and potential partners — another key transparency mechanism for identifying market actors and anticipating needs.

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Monitoring Award Notices

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Award notices published in BOAMP or OJEU reveal winning companies, contract amounts, and project details.
Systematic analysis of these awards helps identify:

• The most active local authorities in photovoltaics;
  
  
• Those renewing their equipment or launching multi-year programs.
  
  

Awarded companies also represent valuable commercial targets.
For example, a company winning a solar carport tender may later need local subcontractors, equipment suppliers, or engineering firms — opening partnership opportunities.

Analyzing award data also provides market intelligence: price levels by region and project type, insights into competitors’ contracts, and benchmarks to refine your bids and boost competitiveness.

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Identifying Opportunities Through Construction Projects

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Looking only for tenders related to photovoltaic installation or maintenance isn’t enough.
A complementary approach is to monitor construction or expansion projects that feature large surfaces suitable for solarization — such as:

• Logistics zones and warehouse expansions,
  
  
• Large-capacity parking areas (shopping centers, hospitals, train stations, transport hubs),
  
  
• Public buildings (schools, gyms, swimming pools).
  
  

Early detection through construction tenders, building permits, or specialized press announcements allows you to :

• Spot project owners early,
  
  
• Assess solar potential from surface data,
  
  
• Proactively offer solar solutions before an energy-specific tender is published.
  
  

This approach transforms “traditional” construction projects into energy opportunities, positioning the solar company as a strategic partner, not just a downstream contractor.

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Geographic Targeting by Solar Potential

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Regions such as Occitanie, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur host the majority of photovoltaic projects thanks to favorable sunlight.

According to the Deepbloo monitoring platform  1500 photovoltaic tenders published in the past six months, 40% were located in these three southern regions.

Beyond climate, some departments stand out for proactive public policies — local solar subsidies, dynamic energy syndicates, and strong political commitment to energy transition.

Major cities like Lyon, Bordeaux, Toulouse, and Montpellier have launched massive programs to equip their public buildings, parking lots, and schools. Their climate action plans often include quantified solar capacity targets for 2030.

Meanwhile, rural areas should not be overlooked: many small towns aim to equip agricultural roofs, disused landfills, or parking areas to generate additional income. These smaller projects are multiplying, forming a stable market for local installers.

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Optimal Prospecting Calendar

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• October–December: budget preparation by local authorities. Technical departments present investment projects for the following year — an ideal time to influence decisions through proactive proposals.
  
  
• January–April: major tender publication period (60–70% of annual releases).
  
  
• May–September: contract awards and project launches, often during school holidays to minimize disruption.
  
  

Anticipating this calendar helps optimize commercial and technical resource allocation.

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Automated Monitoring Tools

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Manual monitoring of hundreds of sources quickly becomes time-consuming and unreliable (read our article on setting up automated monitoring)
Specialized platforms like Deepbloo automate this process by aggregating daily official publications, deliberations, MRAe opinions, and public inquiries.

Configure alerts byGeography (target departments), Technical criteria (minimum capacity, installation type), Sector (public, agricultural, industrial).

Receiving a daily summary of new opportunities tailored to your profile dramatically increases commercial efficiency.

Automated tracking of awards also reveals market trends: recurring local authorities, average prices, dominant companies — refining your sales strategy and uncovering partnership or diversification opportunities.

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Professional Networks and Key Influencers

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• Energy engineering firms conduct preliminary studies for public solar projects. Partnering with them positions you upstream of official tenders.
  
  
• Departmental energy syndicates support municipalities in their transition projects — valuable partners with access to extensive municipal networks.
  
  
• Professional federations such as the Renewable Energy Syndicate (SER) or Enerplan share major tender information and organize meetings with public buyers.
  
  
• Architects and construction economists involved in new or renovated buildings can inform you about projects integrating photovoltaics — well before public consultation.

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Conclusion

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Identifying photovoltaic projects in France requires a multi-layered approach: combining official source monitoring, detection of weak territorial signals, and activation of professional networks.

In this competitive environment, responsiveness is key — being informed months ahead of competitors lets you influence specifications, form strategic partnerships, and prepare technically and commercially superior bids.

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