The Mas de la Fontenette has been equipped with solar panels since 2024. This solar installation helps to reduce our ecological impact in terms of electricity consumption. And therefore nuclear waste (in France, 80% of electricity comes from nuclear sources).
12 solar panels
12 solar panels (550 watt each, total output of 6.6 kW) are attached to a metal structure on the ground. We are inside the perimeter of a listed site. This means that solar panels on roofs are not permitted. The solar installation is located around sixty metres from the farmhouse in a micro-clearance in the middle of the wood. These solar panels emit 300 volts of direct current. This is transformed into a 220-volt alternating current by an inverter connected to the house’s power supply.
How it works
The system is designed so that solar-generated consumption always takes precedence over mains consumption. So if, at a given moment, consumption reaches 1.8 kWh and the panels also produce 1.8 kWh, then all the electricity consumed comes from the solar panels. If consumption rises to 4 kWh while solar production remains at 1.8 kWh, the mains will automatically supply the difference. As this is a ground-mounted installation, current legislation does not allow excess production to be fed back into the grid. Production can therefore never exceed consumption. Experience shows that in the middle of July, a nominal 6.3 kWp installation in the Ardèche produces a maximum of 5 kWh. This is shown in the image below:
The limits of solar production
By definition, a solar station only produces when the sun is shining. Daily production in summer runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., i.e. around ten hours a day. In winter, however, the production window is considerably narrower. In addition, cloudy weather and shady areas have a significant impact on panel output. In summer, solar production covers an average of 60% of total consumption.
A gesture on your part to reduce your impact on global warming
The mere existence of solar panels is not enough to reduce electricity consumption from the mains. The panels produce nothing at night and almost nothing on cloudy days. If most electrical appliances are used outside the solar production range, then the reduction in consumption becomes virtually non-existent. So the real savings can only come from changing our habits.
Reducing your impact in terms of electricity consumption means changing your habits. For example, you need to concentrate the maximum amount of electricity you consume during the peak solar production period (10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in summer).
That’s why we recommend using most electrical appliances only between 10am and 6pm in summer, and between 12pm and 3pm in winter. This applies in particular to the use of washing machines, dishwashers, air conditioning, etc. Only by changing our habits can we reduce our production of CO2 and/or nuclear waste. Our environment therefore depends entirely on your willingness and ability to change your habits.
Heating your pool
As much as possible of the excess energy produced by the solar panels in relation to current consumption, we redirect it to heating the pool (except, of course, in summer). This saves a few degrees for the pool water.