Last updated: September 2026

Solar Payback in Portugal and France

Portugal and France sit at opposite ends of the European solar spectrum: Portugal has Iberian sunshine with a light-touch self-consumption regime, while France pairs moderate sunshine with some of Europe's most generous structured support — feed-in tariffs plus a per-kW bonus. Both pay back well in 2026, for different reasons.

Portugal: UPAC and autoconsumo

Portuguese self-consumption units are called UPAC (Unidades de Produção para Autoconsumo). The rules are homeowner-friendly:

• Up to 700 W: no registration needed — plug-and-produce simplicity.
• 700 W–30 kW: simple prior communication to the DGEG; above 1 MW needs a production licence. Typical homes install 3–6 kW.
• Surplus: can be sold to the grid, usually via your retailer or an aggregator at wholesale-linked prices — modest, so self-consumption remains the priority.
• IVA: 23% applies to residential installations in mainland Portugal.

Yields are excellent: 1,500–1,700 kWh/kWp/year across most of the country. Installed prices in 2026 run roughly €1,100–1,500/kWp. With residential tariffs of €0.16–0.23/kWh, the math is straightforward.

Worked example: 4 kWp in Lisbon

• System cost: ~€5,200 installed (incl. 23% IVA)
• Annual production: 4 × 1,600 = 6,400 kWh
• Self-consumption: 40% (2,560 kWh) at €0.19/kWh avoided = €486/year
• Surplus sale: 3,840 kWh at ~€0.06/kWh = €230/year
• Total benefit: ~€716/year → payback in ~7 years

Bi-hourly tariffs (bi-horário) that make overnight EV charging cheap pair beautifully with daytime solar — the two together can cut a household's energy bill by two-thirds.

France: EDF OA tariffs and the self-consumption bonus

France supports rooftop solar through EDF Obligation d'Achat (OA) contracts with two options:

1. Autoconsommation avec vente du surplus (self-consumption + surplus sale): you use what you can and sell the rest to EDF OA at a fixed tariff for 20 years. This is the right choice for most homes.
2. Vente en totalité (full sale): you sell 100% of production at a higher tariff. Simpler, but you keep buying all your electricity at retail — usually worse overall.

2026 indicative EDF OA tariffs (they are revised quarterly — confirm the current arrêté):

• Surplus sale (≤9 kWc): roughly €0.10–0.13/kWh
• Full sale (≤9 kWc): roughly €0.20–0.23/kWh
• Prime à l'autoconsommation: a bonus of roughly €200–260 per kWc (paid over 5 years for systems ≤9 kWc), declining over time — earlier installations get more.

Yields: 1,000–1,200 kWh/kWp/year in the north, 1,300–1,600 in the south. Prices: France is pricier to install — roughly €1,800–2,500/kWp for residential — but the bonus and tariffs compensate.

Worked example: 6 kWc near Lyon

• System cost: ~€12,000 installed
• Annual production: 6 × 1,250 = 7,500 kWh
• Self-consumption: 40% (3,000 kWh) at €0.23/kWh avoided = €690/year
• Surplus sale: 4,500 kWh at €0.12/kWh = €540/year
• Bonus: 6 × ~€220 = €1,320 over 5 years ≈ €264/year
• Total benefit: ~€1,494/year → payback in ~8 years

Portugal vs France at a glance

• Sunshine: Portugal wins clearly (1,500–1,700 vs 1,000–1,600 kWh/kWp).
• Install cost: Portugal is cheaper (€1,100–1,500/kWp vs €1,800–2,500/kWp).
• Support: France's bonus + 20-year fixed tariffs give more revenue certainty; Portugal relies on pure bill savings.
• Payback: both land around 7–9 years — Portugal via sun and low costs, France via support.

Frequently asked questions

Model your own roof: solar payback calculator for Portugal and solar payback calculator for France.

This guide is for information only and is not professional financial advice.