Ademe, France’s environmental agency, has launched a tender for large-solar thermal installations and heat pumps to produce hot water.

The agency has opened the procurement exercise to include: solar thermal power plants operating independently or integrated with a heating network, capable of achieving hot water temperatures up to 110°C; combined solar thermal systems in collective housing or commercial buildings, with collector areas ranging from 250 m² to 500 m²; and solar-assisted heat pumps designed for heat and domestic hot water production.

“Inter-seasonal storage solutions are eligible under this framework. However, the project developer is asked to provide an analysis of the relevance and efficiency of this type of storage, and to propose a comparison with other storage solutions,” Ademe said, in reference to heat pumps.

In the tender document, the institution emphasizes that France's existing energy strategy aims to reach 38% renewable heat in French final consumption by 2030. To meet this goal, it seeks to specifically promote the growth of large-scale solar thermal installations, driven by considerations of profitability and the inclusion of robust monitoring systems ensuring production and averting possible malfunctions.

Developers can submit their proposals until Oct. 15.

“Industrial uses that consume hot water are ideal targets for solar technologies, as are heating networks where solar production can be injected in addition to biomass or geothermal energy to maximize their renewable energy rate,” explained the agency.