Large retailers file an appeal against photovoltaic shades in car parks

Eleven federations, including those of supermarkets and players in the car park sector, announced the filing of an appeal on Monday before the Council of State against the decree implementing the obligation to install photovoltaic shades in large car parks exteriors. The APER law requires existing outdoor car parks of more than 1,500 square meters to install shade covers covered with solar panels on half of their surface area. A decree published at the end of 2024 specified the deadlines for doing so, from July 2026 to January 2028 depending on the case.

Deadlines “unrealistic”deplored to AFP Franck Charton, general delegate of Perifem, an association which brings together major players in French distribution, such as Carrefour, Casino or Ikea, and which is one of the eleven federations having filed an appeal against this decree on Monday. “We are in favor of installing shade houses”wanted to remind Mr. Charton, “but in a pragmatic and reasoned manner”. Or “the average time for a photovoltaic panel project is around 18 months. Since almost no one has started, we will not be able to meet the deadlines of 2026, and probably not those of 2028 either.he estimated. Owners of large car parks may also have to source from China, because “these delays do not leave time for French industry to start up its factories”added Mr. Charton.

“A huge waste”

The requested deadlines are “technically impossible” et “force us to supply ourselves with Chinese panels while the ambition of the Ministry of the Economy was to create a cutting-edge French industrial sector for these panels”for its part, advances the employers’ federation of supermarkets, the FCD. “The sector is not in place, it’s a huge waste”reacted Laylou Rahhou, general delegate of the FCD (Federation of Commerce and Distribution), calling on public authorities to “change vision” pour “a deployment consistent with economic realities”.

Another problem raised by professionals: the method of calculating the surface area of ​​parking lots which must be covered with shade. “The Spirit of the Law” voted in 2023, “as we understood it, was that only 50% of the parking spaces needed to be covered. However, the decree included traffic aisles in the calculation, aisles which already represent half of the surface area of ​​parking lots.underlined Mr. Charton. But it is not easy to cover these paths with shade, according to the eleven federations, in particular because they would prevent large vehicles from traveling there. “This will therefore require covering 100% of parking spaces to compensate”explained Mr. Charton. And this “would freeze their land surface for more than 20 years, prohibiting in particular (…) the establishment of housing”put forward the eleven federations in a press release. Shades over all parking spaces would also prevent trees from being planted there, although obligations exist in this regard, note these federations.