Solar in 60 seconds

From sunlight to savings — your roof, explained.

Ten quick steps, one clear picture of how solar works on a home — and what it really changes, from the light hitting your roof to the end of the panels' life.

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01 / 10 · Sunlight

Every year, your roof receives between 1,000 and 1,700 kWh/m² of solar energy

1,200 kWh/m²/year

Average in France

That's far more energy than a home uses per m² — the whole point of solar is capturing a usable share of it.

02 / 10 · Conversion

Photovoltaic cells convert light into electricity

20-26%

Efficiency by technology

A fifth to a quarter of the light becomes power; the rest is lost as heat. Higher efficiency means more energy from the same roof area.

03 / 10 · Inverter

Direct current becomes alternating current for use

97-98%

Inverter efficiency

Almost nothing is lost in the conversion — but the inverter is also the part most likely to be replaced once over 25 years.

04 / 10 · Self-consumption

Self-consumption: directly use the electricity produced

30-70%

without battery

Every kWh you use yourself is worth your retail price (~0.25 €), not the low export rate — so self-consumption drives the economics.

05 / 10 · Grid & surplus

Excess is injected and bought back by EDF OA

0.04 €/kWh

Surplus buyback rate Q1 2026 (≤9 kWp)

Exported surplus earns far less than you pay to buy power — so sizing the system to your own use matters more than maximising output.

06 / 10 · Your bill

Savings of 30 to 60% on your electricity bill

600-1,200 €/year

for a 6 kWc installation

These savings rise as electricity prices rise — solar is partly a hedge against future tariff increases.

07 / 10 · Payback

Profitability achieved in 8-14 years depending on your zone

6-12%

IRR over 25 years

After payback, the remaining 10-15 years of output are close to pure return — but the IRR depends heavily on your own assumptions.

08 / 10 · Climate

Each kWh of solar avoids 55 g of CO₂ (FR mix) to 400+ g (EU mix)

1 metric ton CO₂

avoided per year for 6 kWc

The carbon saved depends on the grid it replaces — large in coal-heavy mixes, modest in already low-carbon France.

09 / 10 · Lifespan

25-30 year performance warranty, minimal maintenance

0.3-0.5%/year

Degradation

Panels still deliver about 85-90% of their output after 25 years — slow, predictable ageing rather than sudden failure.

10 / 10 · End of life

94-96% recyclable at end of life

94-96%

recyclable (glass, aluminium, silicon)

Recycling has a real but limited cost — and it closes the loop on solar's footprint.

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