Solar panels in Lyon
PVGIS climate data puts Lyon at roughly 1,239 kWh per kWp each year, so a typical 6 kWp roof makes around 7,435 kWh. The Métropole de Lyon runs a free solar cadastre that estimates each roof's solar PV and solar thermal potential, as part of its Plan métropole solaire voted in June 2022. On our model, the system saves about EUR 485 in year one but does not pay back within 25 years if 30% of the power is used at home. The 70% that is exported earns 0.011 EUR per kWh against 0.194 EUR for power bought from the grid. Compared with the France reference point on our country page, Lyon produces 5% more per kWp.
Month by month in Lyon
Modelled output of a 6 kWp system at 35° facing south (towards the equator), from PVGIS climate data (PVGIS-SARAH3, 2005 to 2023).
| Month | kWh | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| January | 340 | 4.6% |
| February | 466 | 6.3% |
| March | 679 | 9.1% |
| April | 756 | 10.2% |
| May | 778 | 10.5% |
| June | 810 | 10.9% |
| July | 854 | 11.5% |
| August | 809 | 10.9% |
| September | 721 | 9.7% |
| October | 554 | 7.5% |
| November | 364 | 4.9% |
| December | 305 | 4.1% |
- Best month: July (854 kWh). Weakest: December (305 kWh), a 2.8x difference.
- June, July, August produce 33.3% of the year; January, November, December produce 13.6%.
- Year-to-year variation: about 316 kWh (4.2%, one standard deviation).
- Sunlight reaching the panels: 1,632 kWh per m² a year.
Local rules and support in Lyon
Rules set by the city or its region, on top of the national scheme. Each one was checked against the official source on the date shown.
- Métropole de Lyon
Métropole solar cadastre
The Métropole de Lyon runs a free solar cadastre that estimates each roof's solar PV and solar thermal potential, as part of its Plan métropole solaire voted in June 2022. The Métropole's energy aid page lists no specific grant for solar panels.
Source: Métropole de Lyon, Évaluer le potentiel solaire de son toit (checked 2026-09-25)
How Lyon compares
Lyon ranks 2 of 3 for yield among the cities we model in France, and 24 of 41 across every country on Solar Figures. Within one country the prices are the same, so a payback gap between these cities comes from sunshine alone.
| City | kWh per kWp / yr | Payback (EUR) |
|---|---|---|
| Marseille | 1,563 | 24.9 yrs |
| Lyon | 1,239 | 25+ yrs |
| Paris | 1,108 | 25+ yrs |
| National reference point (country page) | 1,179 | 25+ yrs |
Closest yield abroad: Tokyo (1,241 kWh per kWp), São Paulo (1,293 kWh per kWp), Milan (1,298 kWh per kWp).
What moves the payback in Lyon
Power you use yourself is worth the retail price (€0.194 per kWh); power you export earns €0.011. So the share you use at home, by running appliances in daylight or adding a battery, changes the payback. The system cost stays the same in every row (a battery would add to it).
| Used at home | Year-1 savings | Payback |
|---|---|---|
| 20% | €350 | 25+ yrs |
| 30% (our default) | €485 | 25+ yrs |
| 50% | €754 | 20.0 yrs |
| 70% | €1,024 | 14.7 yrs |
- Net system cost after incentives: €13,200 for 6 kWp.
- Incentive modelled: No capital grant -- prime a l'autoconsommation ABOLISHED by arrete tarifaire of 1 Jun 2026 (JORF 4 Jun 2026).
- 25-year net savings at our default: €9,495.
Best panel angle in Lyon
At latitude 45.76°N, PVGIS finds the fixed tilt and direction that maximise yearly output. Our figures use a common 35° roof; the table shows what the optimum adds.
| Setup | Tilt | Facing | kWh per kWp / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard roof (used on this page) | 35° | south | 1,239 |
| PVGIS optimum (tilt only, facing the equator) | 37° | south (180°) | 1,240 |
The optimum adds 0.1% a year over the standard roof in Lyon. Most of a roof's value comes from its direction: a roof facing away from the equator loses far more than a few degrees of tilt.
See the full France picture on our France solar page, or the national incentives in our France solar guide.
Sources and method
Figures computed 2026-09-25 for a 6 kWp system, 35° tilt, 14% system losses, terrain shading on. An estimate, not a quote: your installer's quote will be exact.
- PVGIS 5.3 PVcalc (PVGIS-SARAH3), European Commission JRC (checked 2026-09-25)
- France tariff and incentive inputs (see DATA_SOURCES.md) (checked 2026-06-21)
- Métropole de Lyon: Évaluer le potentiel solaire de son toit (checked 2026-09-25)
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