An Energy Justice Exploration to the Revival of the Solar Thermal Energy in France

At a time when the French authorities are defining the future energy and climate programme law, the question of diversifying renewable energy sources is being raised more than ever. In this context, the revitalisation of the solar thermal sector seems to be the ideal solution. The energy justice framework should provide a useful prism through which to determine the legal restructuring of this sector, which, despite many expectations, is not yet fully operational. The means by which individuals gain access to the services offered by solar thermal technologies (e.g. financial support) should then be examined. The aim would then be to avoid a perception of social injustice for the most vulnerable households. Solutions for procedural justice (access to information) and distributive justice (subsidies to households) need to be rethought and better defined. Finally, the measures taken by the French authorities over the last ten years have probably not been sufficient to make the consumer a key actor in the production of solar thermal energy.