Shading of existing parking spaces of more than 1,500 m²

Verified 24 January 2025 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

On a progressive schedule spread out on 1er july 2026 to 1er july 2028, existing parking lots of more than 1,500 m² shall include umbriers over half their area. These should include renewable energy production processes (panels photovoltaic). There are exceptions. We present you with the information you need to know.

On the occasion of their building or heavy renovations, the outdoor parking spaces of more than 500 m² must also integrate on at least 50% shading and stormwater management devices. All information concerning these obligations shall be specified in a dedicated page.

Parks concerned

Outdoor parking lots of a area over 1 500 m² shall be equipped, over at least half of their area, with shadows producing renewable energy.

The obligation will apply to parking lots existing.

Please note

During their construction or major renovations, the outdoor parking spaces of more than 500 m² must also integrate on at least 50% shading and stormwater management devices. A sheet dedicated to these obligations is available.

In some cases, parking lot managers adjacent may pool their obligation. Parking lots are considered adjacent when they belong to the same land unit.

Calculation of the area of the park

The area of the park is calculated in integrant the following:

  • Locations intended for the parking of vehicles and their trailers, situated outside the public highway, within a perimeter between the entrance or entrances and the exit or exits of the vehicle park
  • Taxiways and taxiways, toll facilities and zones providing access to these locations within a perimeter between the entrance(s) and exit(s) of the park.

The size of the park does not take the following:

  • Green spaces, rest areas, storage areas, logistical, handling, loading and unloading spaces
  • Parts where vehicles carrying dangerous goods are parked
  • Parts within 10 meters of a classified installation for environmental protection (ICPE)
  • Areas required for the implementation of the requirements for PCIs.

FYI  

Some parking lots are subject to exceptions, as specified below.

General

The fleet manager must be able to demonstrate that it meets one of the criteria to benefit from an exception.

Please note

The obligation does not apply to parking lots built into a building : Inland and underground parks.

The parking lot manager must to provide proof of the conditions for an exception are fulfilled.

This certificate shall include, in addition to the particulars which it considers necessary to produce, a non-technical summary.

Here are the different conditions to qualify for an exception.

Excessive costs of work

Excessive costs in relation to fleet value

The obligation to install the devices shall not apply to parking lots for which it is demonstrated that their installation is impossible due to total costs excluding tax of excessive work required.

The excessive cost of the works is established by the fact that relationship between the total cost, exclusive of tax, of the works necessary to comply with this obligation and:

  • Either the total cost, exclusive of tax, of the works to create or renovate this park in the absence of implementation of this obligation
  • The market value of that park on the day on which the exemption application is made, where it is an existing park and the sole purpose of the work is to satisfy that obligation.

Costs affecting the economic viability of the park manager

The obligation to install the devices shall not apply to parking lots for which it is demonstrated that their installation is impossible due to costs affecting the economic viability of the parking manager.

This applies if the total cost, net of tax, of the work required to meet this obligation compromises the economic viability of the parking lot manager or its initial financing capacity.

Technical Constraints

Technical constraints or insufficient sunshine reaching the profitability of the installation

The obligation to install the devices shall not apply to parking lots for which it is demonstrated that their installation is impossible due to technical or insufficient sunlight constraints leading to significant investment costs detriment to the profitability of this installation.

Profitability is significantly affected when the discounted cost of energy produced over a period of 20 years is greater than the value of the purchase price or reference price used for the calculation of sales revenue electricity produced by the installation, multiplied by 1.2.

The discounted energy cost is defined as the discounted sum of the investment costs and the operating and maintenance costs of the system divided by the discounted sum of the annual amounts of energy produced by the system.

The calculation of the present cost of energy shall take into account a discount rate fixed at 3%.

FYI  

Estimating the discounted energy costs and discounted revenue must be subject totechnical and economic studies carried out by specialist companies.

Technical constraints related to the nature of the soil

The obligation to install the devices shall not apply to parking lots for which it is demonstrated that their installation is impossible due to technical constraints related to the soil nature, such as its geological composition or its inclination.

Technical constraints related to the use of the park

The obligation to install the devices shall not apply to parking lots for which it is demonstrated that their installation is impossible due to technical constraints linked to the use of the fleet of parking, making it incompatible with such an installation.

Technical impossibility of not aggravating a risk

The obligation to install the devices shall not apply to parking lots for which it is demonstrated that their installation is impossible due to thetechnical impossibility of not worseningas a consequence of such an installation, a risk natural, technological, civil security or national security.

This applies to parks in one of the following situations:

  • Where vehicles carrying dangerous goods are parked
  • Constituting a classified installation for environmental protection (ICPE)
  • Where motor vehicles with a total laden weight (TCAW) of more than 3,5 tons are parked and where technical and safety constraints would aggravate a technological risk if such devices were installed.

Parks located in protected areas

The obligation shall not apply to parking lots:

Parks shaded by trees or already producing renewable energy

Parks already shaded by trees

The obligation to install the devices does not apply to parking lots shaded by trees over at least half of its area.

For the exception to apply, trees must:

  • Be canopy wide
  • Compete or be likely to compete in the shade of the park
  • Be spread over the entire park, at a rate of1 shaft for 3 slots of parking.
Parks already producing renewable energy

This obligation does not apply to outdoor parking lots where the manager sets up, on these same parks, renewable energy production processes not requiring the installation of shadows.

Example :

Wind turbines, geothermal, etc.

FYI  

The exception applies provided that these processes allow equivalent production of renewable energy to that which would result from the 50% the size of the park in photovoltaic panels.

Farms intended for removal or conversion

The obligation to install the devices does not apply to parking lots and does not apply to parking lots which is to be wholly or partly abolished or converted and for which a first authorization is issued before 1er july 2023.

If the conversion or removal is not provided for in a action or a development operation, the exception shall no longer apply if work is not undertaken during the period of validity of that authorization. The fleet manager must then meet the obligations within a period of 2 years.

Please note

When the parking lot is removed or converted in part, the obligations shall apply to the remaining part of that park.

Justification for the exception

The parking lot manager must to provide proof of the conditions for an exception are fulfilled.

This certificate shall include, in addition to the particulars which it considers necessary to produce, a non-technical summary.

In the case of a exception request for installation of shadows with photovoltaic panels, the certificate justifying the exception must also include a technical-economic study carried out by a company with:

  • or a professional qualification or certification in accordance with the requirements of the support device for which the installation is eligible
  • A quality sign issued by an organization which has signed the EGR Studies charter with ADEME and corresponds to photovoltaic activity.

The certificate of qualification, professional qualification or quality held by the company which has carried out the technical and economic study must be provided as part of an application for a city planning authorization or, in the absence of a city planning authorization, during any inspection.

Please note

Neither this study nor this non-technical summary is required when the fleet meets one of the following exemption criteria:

  • Technology Risks
  • Parks constituting a PCI
  • Parks where vehicles carrying dangerous goods are parked.
  • The impossibility of not aggravating a national security risk.

Parks managed under concession or public service delegation

When outdoor parking is managed as a public service concession or delegation, the requirement to include shadows on half the parking area shall apply from:

  • Either from 1er july 2026, for parks which have been the subject of the conclusion of a new contract of concession or delegation or of renewal between 1er July 2023 and 1er july 2026 included
  • Either of the date on which the park is the subject of a new contract concession or delegation or its renewal, if this date is included between 2 july 2026 and 1er july 2028 included
  • Either from 1er july 2028, if no contract has been concluded or renewed before that date.

Please note

Extra time may exceptionally be granted, subject to conditions, by the department prefecture.

Who shall I contact

Other parks

When outdoor parking is not managed as a concession or as a public service delegation, the obligation to include shadows on half of the parking area will apply from:

  • Either from 1er july 2026 for parks whose area is not less than 10 000 m²
  • Either from 1er july 2028 for those whose area is included between 1 500 and 10 000 m².

Please note

Extra time may exceptionally be granted, subject to conditions, by the department prefecture.

Who shall I contact

Outdoor parking lots of a area over 1 500 m² shall be equipped, on at least 50% their area,umbriers producing renewable energy.

These shadows must incorporate a renewable energy production process (photovoltaic panels) over the whole of their upper part providing shading.

In the event of failure to comply with the shading and renewable energy obligations, the manager of the parking lot concerned risks a penalty up to:

  • €20,000, if the area of the park includes between 1 500 and 10 000 m²
  • €40,000, if the park is an area not less than 10 000 m².

This penalty shall be proportionate to the seriousness of the infringement. It shall be decided following an adversarial procedure.

FYI  

The penalty may be imposed every year until the fleet is brought into compliance.