Real families test energy-independent homes

How do households manage their electricity use when all their energy comes from solar power? To find out, a Grenoble research team sponsored by MINATEC IDEAs Laboratory and IRT Nanoelec asked ten families to live in solar-powered homes for three winter months.
The families were asked to compare their actual energy use with the amount of energy that would have been stored in a solar-panel-fed battery, and adjust their energy use accordingly.
All ten families proved to be good sports—they took shorter and less frequent showers, adapted their activities to weather conditions, and did their laundry when power was most available. French gas utility GDF Suez, a project partner, is now studying the families’ consumption curves to get a better feel for today’s consumers’ usage patterns.

Contact: philippe.caillol@cea.fr

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