Brief
In 2018, a family living in Allauch, France, purchased a 50-year-old house and started a comprehensive renovation project. As part of this project, they replaced their fossil fuel heating system with solar PVT and PV panels and a heat pump. Thanks to this renewable energy system in their home, they reduced their annual energy bill from 4,200€ to 1,500€.
Technology
This installation comprises 6 hybrid solar PVT panels, producing both heat and electricity, 10 solar PV panels and a heat pump. In summer, the PVT panels produce enough heat to cover domestic hot water demand without having to switch on the heat pump, showing how the combination of solar thermal technologies with a heat pump prolong the heat pump’s life by giving it a break for about four months every year.
Financial Structure
The family received financial support for their renovation project by the French MaPrimeRénov public funding scheme for homeowners. Furthermore, they benefitted from an additional 2,500€ government subsidy and a 1,900€ subsidy for the resale of unused surplus energy. The family reported that for them it has been a profitable investment, since the loan taken out from the bank to finance the renovation project is already equalled by the annual energy bill savings.