Energy autonomy is an ideal that anyone wishing to achieve should aspire to. build your new house. As household energy bills continue to climb, producing the energy we need every day means independence and freedom. With its mild climate and beautiful sunshine, the South West is a region conducive to the completion of such a project. Passive house, bioclimatic house, positive energy houses…, there is no shortage of examples of virtuous houses. But, can we really build a completely energy self-sufficient ?
Energy autonomy in new homes, what are we talking about?
A house capable of producing enough energy to cover all its needs, without resorting to traditional gas and electricity networks, such is the promise of energy autonomy.
In reality, however, few homes can claim total autonomy. In fact, to disconnect from the grid, you must not only be able to produce energy, but also do so at the right time, or know how to store it for use when needed. Thus, the majority of homes that produce energy do notself-consumes only part of the latter, and remains connected to the network to cover all needs.
Why aim for energy autonomy in new homes?
Building a new home means anticipating future developments. Energy autonomy allows you to look to the future with greater peace of mind.
Reduce energy bills
It's no secret that energy bills are becoming an increasingly significant factor in the overall budget. By producing and consuming your own electricity, it's easy to reduce your budget in the long term.
Protecting yourself against rising prices
Once disconnected from the networks, we no longer depend on market fluctuations. The budget is thus secured in the long term.
Protecting yourself against shortages
Who knows what tomorrow will bring and whether the collective infrastructure will still hold up? Striving for autonomy also means ensuring the comfort of one's family whatever the circumstances.
Have an environmental approach
A less energy-consuming house, which uses renewable energies, drastically reduces its CO2 emissions. A concrete way to take action for the environment.
How to achieve energy autonomy in a new home?
Analyze your needs
Understanding where, for what uses and how we use energy in our home is a very interesting exercise that encourages us to question our choices and choose the appropriate equipment. In a traditional house, it is generally considered that half of the needs are linked to heating, a quarter of the production ofHot water sanitary and the last quarter corresponds to the rest of the needs: lighting, computer, refrigerator, washing machine...
To go further on this subject, read the article “ 12 tips for an energy-efficient home"
New houses consume less energy
The luck of today's houses, especially those built by Maisons SIC, builder of individual houses in the southwest, is that they are designed to limit energy consumption. Thanks to the latest regulations, the RE2020, revised in 2025, which requires high quality house design, they consume up to three times less energy than an old house. Different criteria are imposed to guarantee low energy bills:
Good insulation to limit heat loss
Keeping the heat in the home in winter, and preventing it from coming in in summer, is the role of thethermal insulationThe latter is today particularly well taken care of in a new house to guarantee the comfort of the occupants at low cost.
Low-consumption equipment
Pompe à chaleur, thermodynamic water heater, humidity-controlled ventilation… The equipment of the Modern House have drastically reduced their energy consumption and only consume what is strictly necessary.
The new house heats itself
This feat of the new house is linked to its bioclimatic designLike older homes, newer homes are oriented toward their land and designed to maximize solar energy. These free calories provided by the sun can be enough to sustainably heat a well-insulated home. In summer, on the other hand, the house and the shadows cast prevent the sun from entering the interior.
To go further, read the article “ Building a bioclimatic house in Gironde: 11 tips for a cool house in summer »
Needs easily covered by renewable energies
Thanks to these principles, the new house consumes almost three times less energy than a home built before 1948. Heating needs, which were previously very high, are now reduced to a minimum. Having become the main source of expenditure in the house, hot water production can easily be covered by the use of renewable energies.
Produce your own energy
To achieve energy independence, we must produce energy. Many devices allow the use of renewable energy: Wood energy, aerothermal, geothermal ou solar energy.
It can be used for heating (heat pump, wood heating) or for heating hot water (thermodynamic water heater, solar water heater), but also to produce electricity.
To go further read the article “ Why use renewable energies in new construction? »
Energy storage
While it is easy to store wood or domestic hot water, it is more complicated to storeElectricity supply. Lighting, household appliances or even the operation of heating devices, the essential electricity is not always used at the time of its production. It is therefore essential to store it if we wish to achieve autonomy. Storing electrical energy in batteries requires specific installation.
What are the limits to total autonomy in a new house?
Full autonomy is relatively rare due to significant costs and investments for the electricity storage notably. In most cases, autonomy is relative. Needs are met as much as possible by renewable energies, but the house, for greater simplicity and security in daily life, remains connected to the electricity grid.
Most often, the energy produced by the panels is consumed by the house at the time of its production and the surplus is resold to the electricity supplier.
To better understand this complex subject, read the article: “ Building a self-consumption photovoltaic house ».
The advantages of the Southwest for a more independent home
What if the Southwest was the ideal place to settle and build a self-sufficient or almost self-sufficient house? Atlantic, Occitania, Pyrenees, whatever the region, the climate, the environment and the local specificities make it an ideal place to stay which simplifies the thermal comfort, winter and summer. The new house easily achieves 70 to 90% energy autonomy.
Generous sunshine
De Bordeaux à Toulouse, Through the Pays Basque and Landes, the Southwest as a whole benefits from sunshine above the national average. A resource which is a real asset for the production of electricity thanks to photovoltaic panels or for the production of free solar hot water thanks to thermal solar panels associated with solar water heaters.
We have dedicated the article " Reduce the bill with solar energy in the South West", on this subject.
Moderate heating needs
Winters here are much milder than in the North or East of France. A house therefore requires less energy for heating. It is therefore easy to achieve thermal balance in the home thanks to self-production of calories.
Energy autonomy and new homes in the Southwest: a possible balance
In practice, a well-designed new home in the Southwest can achieve 70 to 90% energy autonomy. The rest comes from the network, but the savings are already substantial.
The expertise of a local builder as House Sic is essential here since it will be able to:
– To study the terrain and its orientation.
– To advise on suitable equipment.
– To design a project in accordance with the RE2020 and optimized for autonomy.
– To support the client in their choices to reduce the cost of their project in the long term.
Energy autonomy in the Southwest: myth or reality?
Energy autonomy in a new home is not a myth, but the reality lies in a fine balance. While total independence remains rare and expensive today, it is entirely possible, in the South West, to design a house that produces a large part of its energy and drastically reduces its bills.
The sunny climate, available technologies and the support of a specialist manufacturer offer real prospects for energy independence.
