Hi Greg.
I checked with Urban Solar. You can self install your own PV panels. If you are less than 3kW, you only have to inform ENEDIS (there is no approval) but you have to have a Consuel electrical certificate of conformity (www.consuel.com) inspection of your installation in order to feed electricity back to the grid which costs roughly 175 euros.
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Not including any upgrading work to comply which may blow away any benefit, think I will buy my own real battery and collect the benefits that way and 3kw is a bit low, maybe they are just behind the times?
3kW is the standard particulier size, because more than that and you pay TVA on the panels, so theyâre 21% more expensive. 
If your connection isnât judged safe it probably isnât safe. Better to know and fix it?
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In this era of reducing CO2 3kw is sadly out of date and obviously Government will have to move that target but as I will be purchasing my own and installing I shall ignore the silly rules.
Its not about dangerous wiring although that is obviously important especially in some older buildings its about compliance with the latest regs which in most cases could be a problem. Several parts of my house are safe but not to the current standard so unless the inspection is purely of the solar to grid and not the whole system.
Unfortunately batteries can easily double the capital cost of installation, push the pay-back time years into the future. And then there is the life of the batteriesâŠ
You would also need significant sized batteries to carry kWs from summer to winter. With the virtual battery, you keep âstoringâ your energy even when you go away on holiday.
The cost of batteries certainly used to but not really these days. As I said to Paul on here a 13kw ex PHEV battery for ÂŁ2000, used to be ÂŁ1500 but they are getting popular.
So they have gone up in price 
Hahaha
I installed my own solar two years ago for about âŹ3000.
Weâre off grid and am so enjoying not paying for a big company to ruin the climate.
Our system is quite small, only 1500watt
but even so, were we grid tied, weâd be selling at least half of what we produce because itâs so effective.
I use an e-bikeâŠwe have a fridge freezer washing machine, electric fan, all the usual small appliances. Nothing too juicy. No Ă©lectrique water heater.
For extra investment, it would be easy to.run everything you need and sell surplus.
I believe the return is about 5 yrs depending on your lifestyle and size of system.
Iâm looking forward to retiring without spending any more on electric.
EditâŠI just realized I got to it just in time, because I bought my kit from Bimble solar in the UK, just before brexshit, so no import duty. Phew.
Iâm tryinG to think of clever low tech ways to store the excess energy. We live near a river.
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You say you are not already heating water so you could easily route excess to a water heater - that is one of our plans for excess!
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Have you seen the Mixergy tank?
My daughterâs feedback this morning on her solar panels in Perth.
2 month bill:
Energy used in addition to panels (at night/cloudy days I assume) $140
Energy bought back $80
Bill total $60
2 months Prior
Energy used $240 (solar panels not in action)
Energy bought back $0
Bill $240
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Any battery storage? Thats usually making best use of electricity as feed in tariffs are often very low.
That also allows energy arbitrage as you can sell back at a better price on an agile tariff.
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Rough rule of thumb for France âŠ
Small plug and play self installs - 3-5 year pay back
3-5kW self install - 6 to 8 years.
Pro install - large - 10+ years payback
âEDFâ install - 20 year payback.
EDF with finance install - âŠjust burn cash in the fire itâs cheaper.
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Love it.
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No Corona, that should be their next consideration.
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Deffo!
Honestly it makes me so angry that this is still the case. The vast majority of governments in the world are absolutely failing their citizens by not making it affordable enough. Minimum 10 year payback situations really just arent good enough, people shouldnât have to be locked in for 30 year contracts or such just to get some solar panels.
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Ikea were doing solar panels in the UK for a very reasonable ÂŁ5-6k some years ago until the government cut the feed-in tariff so they quit. Something was said about it restarting but not heard any more. Do they do them in France?
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