Photovoltaic electricity is also known to grow

The explosion of oil prices, awareness of the programmed exhaustion of the resources of the black gold change the behavior of the French. Companies, craftsmen and industrial climate engineering are organized with the assistance of the Agency of environment and energy (management Ademe). The network of installers Qualisol brings thus already more than 6500 companies qualified to meet the demand for energy savings. In this area, the authorities have given strong signals, including the establishment of tax credits for installations using renewable energy sources and the Act of 13 July 2005 laying down guidelines for the energy policy. The application of the new RT 2005 thermal regulations from September will strengthen the technical performance of new buildings and to the beautiful share of renewable energy. Of provisions also from July of the levels of performance to be achieved in the former habitat for replacement Windows, boilers, water heaters.

This general mobilization is found in scores on the various markets. In thermal renewable energy, solar operates a clear step forward in France behind other European countries such as Britain, the Germany or the Switzerland. According to the Union of renewable energy sources (RES), 14,000 individual solar water heaters were sold in 2005, is 70 over the previous year. Solar thermal panels is increased less than 60,000 in 2004 m2 to 106.400 m2 last year.

Development of biomass

In geothermal energy, the market is currently limited to deposits in Ile-de-France as heating of residential buildings in the downtown area of l ' Haÿ-les-Roses in the Val-de-Marne and Guadeloupe. But, according the SER, an ongoing experiment is promising to Soulz-sous-Forêt, in Alsace, on drilling to almost 4,000 metres. The tax credit can play a leverage effect: used with geothermal heat pump installations are thus passed annually of 13.700 in 2003 17.300 in 2004 and in 2005 25.200. Biomass is also a strong development. With the biofuels plan and the establishment of six new units of production by 2007, France will regain its position as European leader in this sector. Plan wood energy to achieve nearly 1,000 collective and industrial boiler these past seven years. Photovoltaic electricity is also known to grow. The energy policy Act provides an objective of 50,000 thermal and solar photovoltaic roofs per year from 2010 France-South plan, which would correspond to that date to an installed capacity of 100 megawatts (MW) per year. Have been added on the electricity grid in 2004 approximately 5 megawatts while in Germany the installed power was 363 MW and that its market is estimated to be 600 MW in 2007. The increase in the tax credit as well as the announcement by the Government of the increase in the tariff for the purchase of electricity produced by photovoltaic solar installations (reported 305 euros per MWh for collective dwellings and 225 euros per MWh for the individual houses) should compensate for the drastic fall of Ademe aid. The SER said that the Government provides an annual decrease of the tariff for new contracts will account for the decline in the cost of photovoltaic installations.

The wind sector accelerates development with approximately 120 wind farms in operation. Their installed capacity reached the year past 354 MW, or 10 times more than in 2001 and a 140 increase over 2004. The power accumulated in the wind sector was 745 MW in 2005 to 90 on 2004 progress, 425 over 2002.

Developers observe

However, the escalation of renewable energy on the market of individuals, owners of single-family homes in diffuse, is far from being in the promotion of private collective dwellings with the exception of a few condominiums that have managed to equip themselves of tertiary and industrial buildings. Number of developers engaged in a process of environmental quality and energy-saving remain cautious as long as various technologies were not fully guaranteed by the industrial and climate engineering companies are not fully experienced in their implementation. They also regret that renewable energy incentives are undone by other binding.

The already significant additional costs are also often picks of the finger. "The development of renewable energy is still a problem in collective housing," said Philippe Chartier, strategy and research SER Advisor" Tax credits only apply to a principal residence, especially the houses, because it is difficult to apply in condominiums. In addition, rental housing and tertiary departed from the field. Few developers are involved in renewable energy. However, the tax benefits can be a selling point. In the solar photovoltaic, installation is depreciable over time by the sale of electricity to the actors in the network.

Many players, especially in regions, are nevertheless launched on the market. Stradim, sponsor Alsatian, present also in Troyes, Nantes and Toulouse, currently built at Brumath in Alsace Villa Elysée (12 units) program heated by geothermal heat pumps with. "Our customers, whose a part already uses renewable energy sources, is sensitive to energy savings and new modes of heating." We do implement that technology proven such as heat pumps. "We want to be ready when the RT 2005 and other regulations will apply," says Francis Ebel, the Director-General.

The company already sells a housing program heated by solar power at Obernai, near the important job of Strasbourg basin and provides another, also solar, Nantes coast.

Some major operators also took advance conservation of energy, like Nexity-Seeri who made the Arcanciel residence in Courbevoie (Hauts-de-Seine) according to his concept of biohabitat. In this residence, photovoltaic solar panels provide power of the common parts. Similarly, social housing is a vast field of experimentation for several years. The Languedoc-Roussillon region has launched an ambitious action programme to support the construction of 5,000 housing using renewable energy this year with a goal of 25,000 by 2010.

Positive energy building

Oberhausbergen, in Alsace, the society for Promotion of credit the real estate has built 8 housing buildings having recourse, in partnership with the Ademe, geothermal. Heating is provided by heat pump and hot water by solar roof. At Auxerre, the auxerrois habitat Office realized 102 social housing on a set of 150 in a program of urban renewal, all equipped with individual solar water heaters. Other examples are also municipal swimming pools, schools and hotels, including establishments of the Accor Group.

"We're engaged in a race against the clock, said Pierre Herant, head of the Department building and town planning of the Ademe." Our philosophy is to reduce the energy needs of buildings. This means above all to avoid heat losses by developing internal and external insulation in new and existing buildings. Therefore, achieve high performance buildings before renewable energy. "Experts, the Centre for scientific and technical building (CSTB) as leader, working on a major building project in positive energy, i.e. a building that consumes more energy, Prebat research program launched by the public authorities.

This project is a true break from the traditional technologies of construction because of the building envelope "will complement little by little its initial function of protection from the outside with a new function for the production of energy via the local environment: bioclimatic architecture, daylighting, solar input optimization, improvement of insulation", explains the CSTB. A Research Foundation, building energy, created by EDF, GDF, Arcelor and Lafarge, supports this work. In the Prebat, a national program to encourage builders to work on the reduction of the energy needs of existing buildings started in 2005. A call for proposals will be launched in the fall with the collaboration of the National Agency for valorisation de la recherche (Anvar), the National Agency for the rehabilitation of habitat (Anah) and the national urban regeneration agency (Anru).