Required certification! ETN certification for photovoltaic support systems for rooftop projects in France

After the 2023 Intersolar exhibition in Munich, Germany, the French ETN certification of photovoltaic module bracket systems has been paid attention to by more and more Chinese bracket manufacturers. As of September 2023, although no Chinese stent manufacturer has obtained the French ETN certification, more and more Chinese stent manufacturers in the market have begun to ask or plan for certification applications, and plan to enter the French roof market. At the same time, most Chinese module manufacturers are also arranging to enter the ETN white list of French bracket manufacturers in order to gain access to the French rooftop and parking lot PV ceiling market. Hanteng Consulting here mainly introduces the necessity of the French stent system ETN certification for Chinese stent manufacturers and Chinese component manufacturers, as well as the market size covered by the certification.

What is the French Stent System ETN Certification?

ETN(Etude de Technique Nouvelle) - New technology research report, is a technical research report carried out by the French Control Office and the Center for Building Science and Technology on the compatibility of the support system and photovoltaic modules, checking the overall system's water resistance, mechanical resistance, wind resistance, pressure resistance. Key points such as fire risk and feasibility in different regions.

The French support system ETN certification is issued to the support manufacturer by a qualified certification body after the testing and evaluation of the support system and its matching components. ETN certified mount manufacturers can work with different PV module manufacturers to add their components to the white list of mount installers, demonstrating the compatibility of the components and mount systems.

From the point of necessity, before the implementation of the French rooftop photovoltaic and carport photovoltaic installation project, the insurance company of the installation company usually requires the support system manufacturer to provide ETN certification, while verifying that the component products used in the project have entered the white list of the support manufacturer, in order to confirm the security of the installation system and give the installation company ten years of insurance. Without ETN certification, neither the bracket manufacturer nor the component manufacturer can be included in the installer's supplier list. ETN certification is therefore essential for manufacturers of brackets and components entering roof and carport projects in France.

Chinese stent manufacturers do not have any problems in entering French ground projects, but due to the lack of ETN certification, they have lost a lot of market share in roof and parking shed projects.

Roof project market analysis forecast

In the first half of 2023, the newly installed capacity of photovoltaic projects in France was 1378MW, and the total installed capacity reached 18GW. In the newly installed photovoltaic projects, in addition to large-scale ground projects, the main force of increment is concentrated in the 36-100kW industrial and commercial roof projects and 3-9kW household roof projects, and the new installed capacity accounts for one-third of the increase in the first half of 2023.

 At the same time, in the bidding projects of the French government in 2023-2025, the annual increase of roof projects is stable at 1.1-1.2GW, and the proportion of roof projects is increasing year by year.

 According to the French government's "multi-year energy planning Policy", by 2028, the total installed capacity in France is 44GW, of which 19GW is rooftop projects. The target will be updated in 2024. It can be predicted that commercial roof projects will become an important growth point in the future to achieve the 2030 plan.

Parking photovoltaic ceiling market analysis and forecast

According to the provisions of the French Renewable Energy Acceleration Law, from July 2023, parking lots with more than 80 parking Spaces must be installed solar roofs, and the installation time of solar roofs is specified according to the area of the parking lot. Benefiting from this policy, the French parking solar ceiling market will release at least 6.75-11.25 GW of market potential in the next five years.

 In summary, the French roof and parking photovoltaic ceiling market has a huge market potential, and Chinese stent manufacturers and module manufacturers urgently need to grasp the market orientation and quickly prepare for entering the market.

From the above market capacity analysis, it is not difficult to see that the potential of the French rooftop photovoltaic market is huge, and for Chinese stent manufacturers who want to enter this market, obtaining ETN certification is a stepping stone to enter the market. Similarly, for Chinese component manufacturers, Chinese components also need to enter the ETN certified component adaptation list in order to obtain access to the installer procurement list and successfully enter the roof and parking shed market.