To begin your landscaping work to make your house independent, it is essential to ensure the quality of the house’s insulation.
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You should know that a well-insulated house is a reduced energy bill when you have to heat your home.
Insulate the attic
Insulating the attic is one of the essential jobs since the roof is one of the areas most prone to heat loss. Before embarking on this work, you should know that there are two types of attic:
- lost attics: These are uninhabitable spaces under the roof. This is often due to the ceiling height which is insufficient or to the frame which is too bulky. For this type of roofing, the preferred method of insulation is by blowing flakes of insulation. It is effective and very easy to apply
- converted or habitable attic: Attic is said to be converted when the space between the roof and the floor is habitable. To insulate this roof without breaking the existing one, it suffices to use an insulating lining (also known as plasterboard with insulation). This consists of reinforcing the insulation of the walls thanks to the insulating plates glued to them.
Thus isolate its roof cut by 30% its energy bill for heating and fitting insulation quickly pays for a duration of 5 to 6 years.
Insulate the walls
Besides the attic, the walls are the second sensitive area of heat loss in a house. So make insulation work walls, either inside or outside of its housing reduces these losses to 25%. There are two methods of insulating walls:
- Interior insulation: This method is the most affordable and does not alter the exterior appearance of the home. However, it is not as efficient as the one outdoors and it can be annoying during the construction site. In addition, the interior insulation risks encroaching on the living space of the dwelling.
- Exterior insulation: This method is more expensive and requires a declaration of work. On the other hand, it makes it possible to eliminate thermal bridges and to preserve the inertia of the walls without reducing the living space of the dwelling.
Just like the insulation of the attic, you save in terms of energy bill and this investment quickly pays for itself. It should be noted that wall insulation also reduces heat loss and provides sound insulation.
Install solar panels for a self-sufficient house in electricity
For independent homes, getting rid of the public electricity network is a priority. For this, it is necessary to rely on local means of energy production to meet housing needs. The best solution is to opt for photovoltaics since it is easily installed, requires very little upkeep and maintenance.
Solar batteries to store energy
The solar batteries are an important component for storing energy produced by solar panels. It is an investment that must be taken into consideration and this equipment must be well sized so that you do not face an energy deficit during a period of lack of sunshine. Take for example the case of an isolated dwelling where the average autonomy of an installation must be about 3 to 5 days. This implies that the batteries must contain enough energy for your consumption during this period. Find out more about how to size your solar battery, do not hesitate to consult one of our experts who will take into consideration the region of your accommodation, your needs and your budgetary constraints to guide you in your choice in terms of size and technology.
How many solar panels to install to make a house autonomous?
In addition to the batteries to be installed to store the energy produced , the number of solar panels to be installed must be taken into account in order to have an installation that is neither undersized nor oversized.
Its annual consumption
To have a clearer idea of the number of panels to install at home, you must first know the annual consumption of your home. All you have to do is consult your bill and calculate the annual average of the kilowatt – hours consumed. You also have the possibility of having online consumption monitoring on the site of the electricity supplier.
Number of occupants of the dwelling
Another parameter to consider when sizing PV equipment for your home is the number of occupants in the home. Indeed, it is one of the most frequent measurements among sellers of photovoltaic panels. The installations are thus offered with the power delivered.
The sunshine in its area
The region’s sunshine is another parameter that must be considered when sizing photovoltaic panels to produce electrical energy. Indeed, it is important to know that the production will be lower if you live in the northern area of Pakistan than if you live in the south. So do not hesitate to consult the amount of sunshine in your area is the annual number of sunny days.
The orientation of the roof
In addition to the sunshine in the region, another aspect to take into consideration concerns the installation of solar panels, it is the orientation of your roof. The latter has an impact on the performance of your installation. The ideal is for it to be facing south in order to produce more energy.
Roof pitch
The inclination of the roof has a consequence on the production of electricity from your photovoltaic panels. If you have a flat roof, you won’t have a problem. However, if you are limited by the geometry of your roof, you must take into account the inclination of the angle of the roof which, preferably, should be around 30 degrees. Regarding the sunshine and the inclination of the roof, do not hesitate to contact
us to have an idea on the sizing.
The approximate surface available
The last parameter that comes into play in the sizing of photovoltaic panels linked to your home, is the convertible surface of your roof. In fact, you must estimate the surface area available on your roof to be able to determine the number of panels that you can install. However, do not forget to subtract from this surface any dead zones such as antennas, windows or even chimneys. Once the area is measured, you will be able to estimate the number of panels you can install on your roof.
Heating your independent house with the heat pump
The heat pumps are one of the most profitable and effective solutions to heat the home while remaining autonomous and environmentally friendly. There are two types of heat pumps are preferred for standalone houses: the heat pump air-air and air heat pumps water .
Air-to-air heat pump
The air-to-air heat pump captures calories through a unit located outside the house. This heat is transmitted inside the home tanks to a fan coil. The name of this heat pump comes from the fact that the heat captured outside and delivered inside is done by the air like the air-water heat pump. Apart from the electrical consumption of the heat pump compressor, this equipment consumes nothing else and does not require oil or fuel; it divides your heating bill by 3.
Air-water heat pump
The air-to-water heat pump follows the same operating principle as that of the air-to-air heat pump. The calories from the outside air are captured to heat your home. However, the big difference lies in the way of transmitting this captured heat in your home. Indeed, the heat is injected into the central heating circuit via the indoor unit and circulates in your radiators or underfloor heating, etc. It should be noted that this heat pump has the advantage of being able to produce domestic hot water for your home if you connect it to your tank.
Produce domestic hot water with the thermodynamic tank
A thermodynamic water heater is a piece of equipment that fits perfectly into free- standing homes since it is ecological and economical. Also called thermodynamic cumulus, it captures the energy present in the air to heat a coolant, which in turn transmits this heat to the water in your balloon. Thus its operating principle is similar to that of an aerothermal heat pump. Its coefficient of performance determines how effective it is as a piece of equipment. It should also be noted that the heating time for your water in the tank is generally very short using this type of equipment, count around 8 hours for a volume of 250 liters. The only drawback is that the thermodynamic cumulus ceases to be efficient when the temperature drops beyond 5 degrees. An electrical system will have to take over.
Is the autonomous house sustainable and ecological?
As we have just seen, in order to be able to transform your house and make it autonomous, you have to take into consideration several energy aspects, whether it is electricity, water or heating. All the elements that we have described previously in this guide are ecological and above all autonomous. They only depend on renewable energies or the electricity that you produce by yourself through photovoltaic panels. From a sustainability point of view, it should be noted that photovoltaic panels are equipment known for their extensive lifespan which can reach up to 40 years with an efficiency of 80%. As for the water heater and heat pump, these easily reach 15 years or even 20 years. Yes, the autonomous house is ecological and sustainable!
Is it possible to build a completely autonomous house?
Technically, it is possible to build a self-sufficient house. But this is expensive. It is more reasonable to aim for energy independence while maintaining a link with public networks. Thus, the equipment installed will meet your needs while using the public network when the need arises.
Financially, that means you are self-sufficient with much lower energy bills. You will avoid having occasional cuts due to certain climatic conditions such as long periods without sun or too low temperatures.
Reducing your energy dependence is possible
An independent house remains a significant investment and to be able to achieve energy self-sufficiency, no aspect should be neglected, from insulation to domestic hot water. This house model is attracting more and more people in view of the environmental and financial impact.
To start your renovation work, do not hesitate to consult DSSPak.pk and request a free estimate.