Energy retrofit, live upgraded!

New! In addition to the DPE, the energy audit will be available as of April 1, 2023 for properties outside of condominiums and classified F and G.

With the tension that reigns on the energy market, real estate is appreciated in particular with regard to its energy performance.A large house that cannot offer its occupants the best possible hospitality in terms of temperature risks causing offence... Similarly, a house that imposes high gas and electricity bills can quickly get into trouble!
Faced with these new standards of comfort, the stars that halo the houses come from the score obtained during the establishment of the famous DPE (diagnosis of energy performance). This precious classification results in the attribution of a value ranging from A to G.
The best homes will proudly display their A or B label indicating that they are particularly environmentally friendly and do not consume more than 90 kWh/m²/year.
Conversely, the least attractive villas will be awarded the letters F or G, which send them back to the rank of heat sinks.
In this new real estate landscape characterized by energy sobriety, some renovation work will allow to display the most rewarding and efficient class.

1st star
Priority to savings

Like cars, the qualities of houses are now measured by their sobriety. Let's face it, political incentives and energy tensions are a strong incentive to renovate. Whether to insulate or to consume less, the aids will allow to carry out beautiful building sites...
One of the main actionsis to improve the insulation of the walls and the roof. All these walls generate about 2/3 of the heat loss that can escape from a house. It is therefore necessary to insulate the building from the inside or the outside. If the latter solution is more efficient with regard to thermal bridges, it represents a higher cost. By opting for insulation in the rooms, this process reduces the living space. As for the roof, it is advisable to fix biosourced insulating panels or hemp wool in the under-slopes. In case of lost attic, there are recycled cottons to blow on the ceiling.
The aid to be obtained! You should turn to the device "Ma prime rénov" which gives a significant envelope for the insulation of walls from the outside. It amounts to 75 €/m2 with "Ma prime rénov'bleue" plus about 37 €/m2 under the CEE (energy saving certificates), a total of 112 €/m2.

• Reasons to be upgraded!
• Insulating the attic represents a reduction of about 27% on the amount of energy consumption.

2nd star
Make room for living comfort

In addition to the energy efficiency made possible by insulation, the replacement of exterior woodwork provides a sense of well-being. They also contribute to savings because windows account for 10 to 15% of heat loss in an interior.
If the choice between PVC, aluminum or wood is not important, it is especially important to ensure that the opening is compatible with the building when changing the windows.
The benefits to be gained! If the replacement of exterior joinery results in a 100 € aid per opening, we must not forget other help. This concerns the zero interest rate eco-loan, which provides an interest-free loan of up to €50,000 over 20 years to finance an energy renovation. Advantage: it can be cumulated with "Ma prime rénov", the aids of the Anah (the National Agency for Housing), those of the territorial authorities, the energy saving certificate (CEE) and the zero rate loan for accession (PTZ).

• Reasons to be upgraded!
• With the energy audit coming up on April 1, 2023, the recommendations in the context of a package of work
• will aim to achieve energy class B, whereas a property could be ranked as a thermal sieve
• labelled G!

3rd star
Welcome to technology!

The performance of the house does not forget to rely on advanced technologies to optimize energy efficiency. Heat pumps (PAC ) and other solar panels contribute to the production of renewable energy.
What equipment should be installed? The heat pump draws calories from the air or the ground to reinject them into the house in the form of heat.
We must distinguish two main families:

• the air-to-water heat pump transmits heat directly to the central heating and domestic hot water system.
• The air-to-air heat pump works in the opposite way to a refrigerator. Rather than capturing the hot air inside and rejecting it in the kitchen, the heat pump captures this air outside and rejects it inside the house.

Solar panels, on the other hand, offer a resource that can be used immediately or completely redirected. Thus, the surplus or the totality of energy can be sold to EDF. Without forgetting the heating with wood, stove and pellet boiler, which constitutes a good alternative.

The benefits to expect! Conditioned on a system ofobligation of purchase, the electricity produced by photovoltaic panels can be sold at a rate set by law. Thus, the individual producer can sell all or part of the electricity he produces at prices set by decree that change every quarter. For example, for a photovoltaic installation of 3 kWp, the producer receives 17.89 cents €/kWh if he sells all his production or 10 cents €/kWh if he sells the surplus.

In addition, the installations that allow self-consumption (installations of sale in surplus), are eligible for an investment premium. For an installation less than or equal to 3 kWp, the premium amounts to 380 €/kWp.

• Reasons to be outclassed!
• On average, a heat pump allows you to reduce your energy bills by about 900 €/year, according to Engie.

4th star
Focus on the energy class

Houses that can boast a good energy class are promised a bright future in real estate.
What's the point of the DPE (energy performance diagnosis)? More and more precise, buyers or tenants make it a privileged selection criterion...
The results to be observed! The realization of the DPE proves to be obligatory at the time of the sale of a real estate or the signature of a contract of hiring, as well as for the new buildings. The DPE is part of the technical diagnosis file (DDT) which includes all the reports or statements that must be attached to the preliminary contract of sale or lease.
Held at the disposal of any candidate buyer or tenant, the ECD must be carried out as soon as the property or building is put up for sale or rent.

• Reasons to be upgraded!
• A thermal sieve is negotiated up to 15% cheaper than a more efficient property...

Christophe Raffaillac