Three French solar-energy companies are exploring the potential Georgia market for their products this week.

The companies are meeting with Georgia solar-industry businesses through Friday in Atlanta because they see Georgia and the southeast United States as growth markets for residential solar power.

“Usually, the companies in Europe, they consider the U.S. market and they look at the main cities, like New York or maybe San Francisco or Chicago,” said Serge Hanoca, trade commissioner at the French consulate in Atlanta. “But in Georgia there is a big potential.”

The three visiting French firms – France Watts, NTI Guadeloupe, and COFAM Energy – build photovoltaic cells, develop technology that allows panels to follow the sun, and integrate panels into low-profile roofs.

Tags: solar power, solar energy, French consulate