PVGIS · SolarMapped

Solar potential in France

These figures are the unweighted mean of the city locations listed below, not a national average. Two urban points do not represent an entire country, its roofs or its solar installations.

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Sampled-city benchmark

Estimated PV output1,387kWh/kWp/year
Solar irradiation1,733kWh/m²/year

PV output is estimated electricity from 1 kWp of installed solar panels. Irradiation is sunlight energy received per square meter on the optimally tilted panel plane; it is not electricity.

For a 5 kWp system, multiply the electricity values by five. This simple scaling does not account for roof-specific shading or equipment constraints.

Range across these cities: 1,148–1,627kWh/kWp/year. Panel tilt and direction are location-specific; see each city.

Monthly solar irradiation and PV output

Highest-output month: July · 152kWh/kWp/month. Lowest-output month: December · 69.4kWh/kWp/month.

The chart and table use the mean of the listed cities for each month.

Bar lengths compare monthly PV electricity output; exact output and irradiation values are in the table.
Monthly solar irradiation and PV output — France
MonthEstimated PV output (kWh/kWp/month)Solar irradiation (kWh/m²/month)
January73.185
February89.2105.5
March123.4149.5
April139.4173.5
May144182.2
June144.9187.6
July152199.2
August145.3189.3
September128.6164
October103.3127.2
November75.189.3
December69.481.1

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Data and methodology

PVGIS 5.3 (European Commission Joint Research Centre), crystalline silicon, fixed free-standing installation, 1 kWp, 14% system losses, equator-facing panels with optimized tilt and the terrain horizon. Long-term climate estimates are not a forecast or a roof survey. Nearby buildings, trees, roof constraints, snow and local conditions can change actual output.

PVGIS methodology · Sources and assumptions (English) · Download the underlying data (JSON)