TESTIMONIALS – With soaring energy prices, it has never been so profitable to switch to self-consumption, even partial. An observation that encourages more and more French people to get started.
«At first I paid 80 euros per month for electricity, then 100, and today it’s 180 euros. There, I seriously thought about lowering the bill“, explains Cyril Murat, cook in Bordeaux. Like him, a majority of French people saw their electricity bills increase during the year, despite the tariff shield. A trend that should continue: the government has already warned that prices will experience a further jump of 15% at the start of 2023. The hunt for savings is therefore open.
Among the popular solutions, self-consumption – producing part of the electricity consumed at home, for example through solar panels – is in good place. 72% of French people would prefer it to control their costs, according to an opinionway* study, for EDF ENR. “The 3.7 kWh of solar panels that I want to have installed could reduce my bill by 50%, i.e. 1000 euros in savings per year“, adds Cyril Murat.
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«After putting up panels at home, I plan to install them in my parents’ country house“, enthuses Christophe installed in the Toulouse region. For this caterer at home, owner of a swimming pool and an electric car, the energy costs represent a non-negligible expense. He therefore decided to embark on the adventure a year and a half ago. After having installed a first solar panel, then eight more, he has just had another eight installed. These devices cover 40% of his needs, a figure that could rise, Christophe letting himself “the possibility of adding more later».
Like Christophe or Cyril, more and more households are turning to self-consumption. A runaway that has not escaped the professionals of the sector. “We are witnessing a shiftpoints out Benjamin Declas, Chairman of EDF ENR. The market for solar panel installations for individuals has grown by more than 60% in the past two years, he said.
Always more profitable
Taking the first step, however, can be daunting, especially for first-timers. Brands, provenance, technologies… “There are so many possibilities“Blows Cyril Murat. Above all, the initial investment remains substantial, especially when you call on a professional. “The bill can climb from eight to 20,000 euros“, details Benjamin Declas.
But faced with the galloping inflation of energy prices, the amortization period continues to shorten. “In the initial budget, I needed ten years, finally five will be enough“, rejoices Cédric Ricard, who lives in Seine-Saint-Denis. Beyond that, savings become profits. An interesting ratio when you know that the life expectancy of its solar installations is around 20 years at least.
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However, it is useless to hope to make its photovoltaic installations a goose that lays golden eggs: that era is over. “Basically, in 2009, I installed my first panels to sell the energy to EDF. At that time, the price was fixed at 60 cents per kWh, while it was bought at 13 cents per kWh“recalls Régis Isambert, based in the Bouches-du-Rhône. An excellent deal. Today, the calculation has clearly turned to the disadvantage of the individual: “We sell 10 cents per kWh and buy it for 18 cents“Adds this former paramedic, now retired.
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The storage problem
It is also difficult to hope to store the energy produced during summer time slots, to use it after dark, or even in winter. Battery prices remain very high. “The ones I have spotted cost at least 10,000 euros eachexplains Cyril Murat, who hopes one day to become fully autonomous. I calculated that I would need at least two to store enough electricity“. As a result, professionals and regulars advise against having eyes bigger than your stomach. Too large an installation will take longer to pay for itself. “You have to install as close as possible to your needs“, emphasizes Benjamin Declas.
If self-consumption can make sense in the current climate, it should not however be hoped that they will make it possible to attenuate the effects of load shedding. “In the absence of a network, the installations cease to operate“Warns Benjamin Declas.
*Study carried out on a sample of 1027 people representative of the French population aged 18 and over.
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