Solar Thermal Study 2026 Grant
Agence de la transition écologique (ADEME)
In context
This call is open to small and medium-sized businesses, large companies and non-profits and 3 others, at idea and R&D stage and prototype and pilot stage. Funding is a grant of Jusqu'à 70% du coût de l'étude, dans un maximum de 100 000 €. Coverage is read from the notice itself: France.
ADEME offers co-funding for a feasibility study on installing a solar thermal system to produce hot water on a site, covering technical solution choice and financial, administrative and legal analysis. It targets organisations planning a solar thermal project in France, before committing to investment.
About this grant
The ADEME Solar Thermal Installation Feasibility Study grant, financed through the Fonds Chaleur, covers part of the cost of a feasibility study carried out before investing in a solar thermal installation. The study is treated as a necessary step before committing to the design of a solar heating system. The page sets out a broader framework, "EnR'Choix", that asks project holders to show that they have considered sobriety, pooling of production resources and the use of renewable and recovered heat before investing in renewable heat. Among the options to assess are reducing energy needs through efficiency measures, connecting to an existing heat network or studying a new one, using local waste heat, and assessing local geothermal and solar thermal potential, either alone or alongside biomass. Biomass is presented as a scarce resource to be reserved for high-temperature needs above about 90-100 °C, or where no local energy source can meet the demand. The feasibility study itself is intended to verify the technical and economic viability of a solar thermal project on a given site, propose technical solutions suited to that site, size the installation and ensure its durability, and explore financing and administrative or legal arrangements. ADEME provides template specifications (cahiers des charges) for several configurations: dedicated installations on a building or process, installations connected to a heat network, and combined solar systems for collective use. A solar heat pump specification is also listed. The aid is conditional on using a service provider that meets the ADEME-validated RGE Études standard or can demonstrate equivalent qualifications. Applicants submit their files through the Agir platform, which requires an account. The aid is granted mainly through ADEME's regional directorates, and the page recommends making contact before starting an application, using the "Question sur un projet" option. The programme is open from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026.
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Eligibility
The aid is open to businesses, local authorities, associations and public-sector bodies. Individuals are not listed as eligible. The page says the aid is conditional on hiring a service provider that meets the RGE Études referential validated by ADEME, or that can show equivalent conditions. Applicants must have a registered Agir account to submit a file. The programme covers metropolitan France and the listed overseas territories: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Bretagne, Centre-Val de Loire, Corse, Grand Est, Guadeloupe, Guyane, Hauts-de-France, Île-de-France, La Réunion, Martinique, Mayotte, Normandie, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie, Pays de la Loire, Polynésie française, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon. Prior contact with ADEME is advised but is not stated as mandatory.
Key requirements
- ✓Project must involve a solar thermal installation for hot water on the applicant's site (building, process, heat network or combined system)
- ✓Funding covers up to 70% of the feasibility study cost, capped at €100,000
- ✓Deadline is 31 December 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How much funding does Agence de la transition écologique (ADEME) offer?
- Solar Thermal Study offers Jusqu'à 70% du coût de l'étude, dans un maximum de 100 000 €.
- When is the Solar Thermal Study deadline?
- Applications close 31 Dec 2026.
- Who can apply for Solar Thermal Study?
- Eligibility covers organisations in FR; sme, large-company, nonprofit, local-authority, consultancy, engineering-contractor. See the eligibility criteria above for the full conditions.
Relevant sectors
How this compares
- Compared with 17 similar grants (renewables in France) listed in the last 12 months.
- Similar grants that state a value range from $550k to $11m, with a median of $1.9m (5 grants).
- The same organisation listed 3 other similar grants here in the last 12 months.
Closest open grants
Figures are computed from notices listed on Raise Lens in the same sector and country over the last 12 months.
About this sector
Renewable energy funding covers solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal and bioenergy, from early research to grid-scale deployment. Public money tends to back demonstration, grid connection and access to energy in emerging markets, while procurement notices buy installation, operation and maintenance. Calls often ask for proof of resource assessment, permitting progress and local partners.
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