Following the increase in the price of electricity, Willy took the gamble of producing part of his consumption by installing photovoltaic panels plug and play on the roof of his house. Objective: to recoup its costs within 8 years.
Installing photovoltaic panels on the roof of his house, located in a condominium, Willy Rozan did it. And a year later, he is quite satisfied with it.
The thoughts of this Ile-de-France resident, employed in the IT field, were born from his disappointments with an alternative green energy supplier, for which he left EDF a few years ago. In 2022, sharp price increases, particularly with this supplier, are pushing it to look for other solutions. Willy Rozan then begins to learn about the installation of photovoltaic panels. “It seemed like the right time to look into the subject of solar, which we were starting to talk about a lot, because energy prices remained high. I wanted to try, in this way, to reduce my electricity bill, while remaining on the principle of carbon-free energy. »
Use local manufacturers when possible
He begins research to find the company that will support him in this project. Several catch his attention. The one he chooses is called Sunethic, a young French start-up created in 2022 in Avignon. “What finally convinced me,” he remembers, “was that the panels were assembled in France. For a few euros more, you might as well help make the French sector work. » Then it remained to determine where to install it. “We don't have a very large plot of land around the house, barely 150 m2. We could have attached the panels in the garden, but we would have wasted space. Especially since our children play there a lot. We also didn't want to risk a panel being damaged by a balloon, for example. We therefore chose to install two panels on our roof, which is flat. Located high up, they are thus invisible, and the risk of a cast shadow is non-existent”explains Willy. The disadvantage: the panels being quite heavy, a good twenty kilos each, we had to ask the neighbors for help to raise them to the roof.
The neighbors, in fact, were another subject, fortunately quickly resolved. If Willy lives in a house, it is part of a condominium, located in an average town in Yvelines. He obtained an agreement quite simply, in the spring of 2023.
There was a precedent in the residence
“Within the co-ownership, the union council meets every month to discuss issues relating to the work, which allows us to prepare the general meeting which will authorize the most important ones (shutter changes, renovations, etc.). I presented to the assembly my desire to install photovoltaic panels and I easily obtained an agreement, subject to the sole condition that they do not degrade the style of the residence. Knowing that they would be on the roof, therefore invisible, this posed no problem”explains the co-owner. He wasn't worried anyway, other neighbors having done the same a few months before, with a slightly more ambitious project, since they installed 4 panels and a battery to store the energy produced. This authorization obtained, all that remained was to place an order. Willy Rozan chooses the system « plug and play »the easiest to install. A manipulation supposed to last half an hour, at most. Verdict? “In fact, it was very simple to install, even without being very handy. Once the two panels were mounted and screwed, we plugged them, using an extension cord, into an exterior outlet. In just a few minutes, we were already starting to produce our own electricity! »rejoices Willy, who can follow the production directly from his smartphone. It was June 2023.
A real saving, observed from the first year
“Overall, I have produced around 900 kWh since installation. I estimate that I saved €178 on my electricity bill in one year, without having made any particular effort. I could go further, for example by orienting the inclination of the panels according to the season and the sun. I admit that I didn't take the time to go up on the roof to do it, but it could help produce a little more.”Willy recognizes. He does not rule out going further with, why not, installing a third panel, if his roof can support the load and if energy prices continue to rise. “I won't hide from you that there is also a little pride in saying that we produce our own electricity! » he concluded with a smile.
