Do you want to make your home self-sufficient and no longer be connected to the national electricity grid? Control your impact on the environment and consume your own electricity production?

It is the dream of many of us… But to become 100% autonomous in electricity can seem impossible if we think of the change of weather, season, its desire for comfort, the consumption of electrical appliances, heating etc…

But don’t be afraid! Being independent in electricity is possible! By choosing your equipment well and perhaps correcting some of your (bad ^^) habits.
So how do you achieve complete self-sufficiency in electricity? Solar panels, wind turbine, hydro turbine, which production system to choose? This article tells you everything you need to know about making your own electricity.

BEING SELF-SUFFICIENT IN ELECTRICITY = CHANGING YOUR HABITS!

Autonomous in electricity, ecology, responsibility, autonomous habitat

Electrical autonomy is only possible by installing an efficient electrical production system AND by implementing a reasonable energy consumption.

New ways of consuming that will both contribute to your eco-responsible approach and avoid unnecessarily drawing electricity stored in your batteries at the risk of running out of steam!

If you haven’t already done so, you will have to start by improving your electricity consumption by adopting new habits on a daily basis, such as

Turn off unused electrical appliances (even on standby they consume)
Don’t leave chargers plugged in
Wash laundry at low temperature and dry it in the open air
Stop the hot water balloon when you’re away

In addition to these small energy-saving measures, you should also install energy-efficient electrical equipment, such as:

Low-energy LED bulbs indoors, sun bulbs on the outside
Electric appliances class A energy (VMC, water heater, refrigerator, etc…)

You may also prefer non-electrified appliances. For example for heating with a pellet stove, gas for cooking, or a solar water heater.

Heating is a very important point to take into account in your electrical autonomy since it can account for up to 65% of your energy consumption if you live in a traditional dwelling.

The so-called “passive houses” will optimize and save heating with excellent insulation of walls and windows. Their heating consumption is thus reduced by almost 90%. As for the Tiny Houses If this is your alternative housing project, its small size is once again an advantage since it needs little heating thanks to its small surface area!

CALCULATE AND MANAGE YOUR ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION

Electrical consumption, electrical management, better and less consumption.

Once you have implemented these new energy consumption reflexes and energy-efficient equipment, you will have to calculate your electricity needs before choosing the electrical production system that suits you.

To do this, read your electricity meter over several days. This will allow you to establish an average of the Watts you consume daily.

Be careful, you will still have to add a margin for the days when you will consume more or when your production system will provide less electricity because of bad weather.

This calculation of the Watts consumed will allow you to set limits of electrical consumption not to exceed.

With all this data, you’ll finally be able to get down to business: choosing your renewable energy supply system!

Whichever system you choose, the electricity produced will be stored in batteries . Batteries that, in general, provide between 12 and 15 volts. The electrical appliances in the house operate on 220 volts, so don’t forget to add a converter.

Regarding the management of your electricity, you should know that there are now intelligent solutions that allow you to distribute the energy produced to the appliances in the house (more information on Eco Infos Energies Renouvelables).

Finally, before choosing your electricity production system, don’t forget thatelectrical autonomy is linked to nature: sun, wind, water.

As a result, your production may sometimes be less efficient. To avoid ending up without any electricity, you can plan a generator, some models running on biofuel.

PHOTOVOLTAIC PANELS

The installation of photovoltaic panels is the most widely used system for producing electricity yourself.

Of course, some people may be reluctant to install them because of the environmental impact caused by their very unenvironmental manufacturing… However, their environmental balance is balanced by their non-consumption of fossil fuels for their operation.

It is also a more economical way to produce electricity than wind turbines. Indeed, solar kits are increasingly efficient and less expensive, so they allow a faster return on investment.

According to theADEME, 5 m2 of solar panels are enough to produce the equivalent of the annual electricity consumption of a family of 4 people (excluding heating)!

To be even more precise and to help you compare with your own consumption of Watts per year, it is estimated that1 m2 of photovoltaic panels produces about 100 kW/year. Do not hesitate to visit the specialized site of MyShop solaire, distributor of solar kits to assemble oneself (autonomous, self-construction, hybrid,…) with whom we collaborate for the realization of our Tiny Houses, to study the various types of installation of solar panels.

WIND POWER

wind tree – wind turbine – Neo Wolrd Wine

By definition, wind turbines are powered by wind. Not with just a passing breeze, no. With winds of at least 14 km/h.

They are therefore more variable in their performance since they depend on the strength of the wind and also on the size of the blades.

Domestic wind turbines are a very good way to complement a photovoltaic installation, as the two systems work alternately depending on the weather.

In terms of renewable energy production, domestic wind turbines (from 8 kw to 30 kw depending on the model) provide between 10,000 and 50,000 kw/year.

You should also know that the installation of a wind turbine of less than 12 meters is not subject to authorization. Be careful not to forget to consult the PLU of your town (or any other text referring to it)!

Similarly, you cannot be too advised to discuss this also upstream with your neighbours. In order to avoid any future neighbourhood conflict…

Finally, there are of course a multitude of models of domestic wind turbines available from various suppliers. of different capacities, dimensions and design like the very original models ofwind trees from the French company Neo World Wine.

MICRO HYDRO-TURBINES

Micro hydroelectric power plant – Photo Provence Energie Partagée

The micro-hydro turbine is a cleaner but much less widespread renewable energy production facility.

As this method of electricity production only works with the force of the current, it can be a complementary device to solar panels to be 100% self-sufficient.

Provided, of course, that you have a waterfall or a stream on your property.

To install the micro hydroturbine it is necessary to concentrate the hydraulic energy on a natural slope with a water height higher than 2 meters. It may be necessary to develop the watercourse.

The installation and the electrical production of your micro-hydro turbine depend on the specific characteristics of your watercourse, it is difficult to indicate its capacity of electrical production. However, we advise you to visit the site Hydroturbine.info, you will find all the necessary information on for example how to realize your hydraulic turbine, to determine the topology of your ground, or the various models of hydro-electric turbines which exist.

To conclude, do not forget to consult the public aids to which you are entitled if you install a renewable energy production system on economie.gouv.fr : self-consumption bonus, zero rate eco-loan, tax credit, etc…

You want to know more about our Tiny Houses? Contact the BIMIFY team 🙂.

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THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DRY TOILETS

Individual or professional you are fully committed to an ecological approach, want to gain autonomy or rent an unusual eco-responsible housing?

The choice of toilets is not to be overlooked, especially for a nomadic habitat such as a Tiny House, and must be well thought out according to your comfort needs and the configuration of your accommodation.

Often prejudiced but still more hygienic than conventional toilets, dry toilets are a solution to limit our environmental impact and avoid the waste of drinking water.

And for good reason. Did you know that simply by flushing the toilet, the French throw almost 40 of the drinking water into the sewers every day?

Be aware: 36 Litres per person per day of water waste only by the toilet! Clearly, this is 1/3 of the water consumption of French households that pass through their toilets.

And the problem doesn’t end there.

These toilet wastewaters (called “water valves”) are loaded with pathogens and many mineral, organic and even synthetic pollutants such as pesticides and medicines, making it difficult for treatment plants to work and may end up in our waterways.

So in this article, we explain the different dry toilet facilities that exist to help you choose according to your means and your need for comfort.

COMPOSTING DRY TOILETS

Very often people are introduced to dry toilets at a public event. And who says public, says many passages and thus lack of cleanliness… Then inevitably the dry toilets do not end up being victims of this cliché.

And now we say Stop! There is no reason why a private dry toilet should be dirtier than a conventional one, since it really depends on your maintenance… So yes, you can be green and clean, one does not prevent the other!

Once this truth is restored, it is worth noting that dry toilets even have many advantages.

Ecological and economical, because as the name suggests they do not consume water, dry toilets are as easy to install and as comfortable for your little buttocks as conventional toilets. In addition to zero risk of breakdown and plugging, zero toilet products to buy or even skeptical pit to maintain!

So, in practical terms, how’s it going in the dry corner?

Well, it’s going well. After each passage, we cover our little need with sawdust or wood shavings… No one knows, it is the sawdust that will absorb the humidity and thus avoid fermentation and odours.

Logistics level, just plan the wood sawdust stock and empty every 2/3 days (for a family of 3/4 people) the contents of the bucket on the compost heap of the garden.

To best prepare the bucket for dry toilets, before installing it, consider wetting it a little with water and then covering the walls – a bottom of 5 to 10 cm of sawdust.

Installing dry compost toilets will only take you a maximum of half a day as there are no water connections to make. You can even save space by incorporating a wood chip compartment into the extension of the toilets. And a little advice for more comfort and discretion, plan for the drain access to the bucket from the outside via a small hatch to avoid walking with in the house, even if it is small as a Tiny House …

DRY TOILETS WITH SEPARATOR

We’re going upmarket in the dry toilet family. This is a more sophisticated system than the simple compost bin described above.

Thanks to a separator positioned under the toilet bezel, liquid and solid waste will be dissociated.

The urine will be collected in a container located in the front part of the toilet, and the faeces in another at the back.

Why would you do that?

To prevent odours from forming by preventing liquid and solid waste from mixing. In addition, with the possibility for some models to add an outdoor ventilation system, odours are directly eliminated, sawdust litter is almost no longer necessary.

Dry separator toilets also allow you to sort solids from a compostable bag that will go directly to your compost corner of the garden and, on the other hand, liquids that you can drain via grey water or use as fertilizer for your plants! Finally, for even more comfort, some will appreciate the fact of emptying the bucket less frequently since the container of urine is easier to empty.

EVAPORATIVE AND DEHYDRATING DRY TOILETS

It’s kind of the Rolls of the dry toilet. Inevitably more complex to install and expensive to purchase than other systems, dry toilets with evaporation and dehydration are a guarantee of total comfort.

Not only do they prevent the handling of sawdust, reduce waste volumes by 90, but they also make emptying considerably easier.

There are different types of facilities. Some use only air and sun, for example, and others are related to electricity.

Now it’s up to you to make the choice for a greener toilet! See also our special article PHYTOEPURATION.