Whilst electricity is the same all over the world it is important to remember that the rules and regulations regarding the supply are not. On this page we'll try and point out the most common differences so you can learn from our experience.

Photovoltaic energy

Would you like to participate in improving the lives of future generations and at the same time profit from supplementary revenue? If so, then investing in a photovoltaic installation may be for you.

Photovoltaic energy is electrical energy produced by solar radiation and as the sun is an enormous source of renewable energy, it is a very environmentally sound way of producing electricity. The electricity is produced when the solar rays are absorbed by photovoltaic cells. These cells are made of semi-conducting materials similar to those used in computer chips. When these materials absorb the sunlight, the solar energy causes electrons to be released from their parent atoms and flow through the material thus producing electricity. Solar cells are often used to power calculators and watches.

For larger scale energy generation, the solar cells are grouped into modules and mounted into glass panels. These panels are suitable for integration into roof as a replacement for the normal roofing material (i.e. slates or tiles), or mounted into framework for superimposition on a roof, wall or just on the ground. The electricity produced in this way could be used to provide power to an individual home. However, here in France, it has become the norm to sell the electricity back to the network. Since July 2006, EDF contracts to buy the electricity produced by photvoltaics at a guaranteed price of 55 cents per kilowatt-hour for 20 years, as long as the modules are integrated into the roof. Remember, depending on your tariff, you buy electricity at 7.875 cents per kilowatt-hour.

If we take an average family home, a 25m² installation integrated into the roof would produce up to 3120 W and cost around 30 000 €. The installation would be eligible for 50% tax credit on the materials. Moreover, a grant could be available from the department, but every department allocates grants differently. Finally, if the house is more than two years old, TVA is payable at the reduced rate of 5.5%.

Depending on the situation, the costs of the installation could be amortised in less than ten years, allowing the owner to profit on his/her investment for the next ten years. Calculated over the period, the annual rate of return on the investment could be around 8%, which is more than an investor would be likely get from a building society.

In summary, a photovoltaic installation is a green way of getting electricity into your home, a contribution to reducing green-gas emissions and a longterm investment opportunity in an environmental industry.

 

Three Phase Supply

Many houses around here have 3 phase electrical supplies whilst in Britain this was usually only supplied for industrial uses.  The reason is largely linked to the size of the country and the distance between settlements.  Electricity is generated in three phases and supplied down to local transformers in that form.  The use of all three of these phases in a property means that the load is spread over three cables and therefore these can have a smaller cross-sectional area as they carry less current and are therefore less expensive.  The downside of a three-phase supply is that if too many domestic appliances are used on the same phase at the same time the supply may trip off because the current has exceeded the tariff at the meter.  If this were a persistent problem, the solution would be to ask a qualified electrician to check that that the system was balanced out correctly.  However, on an old installation, which had evolved in an unbalanced way over the years, it might be necessary to consider having your supply changed to single phase.  This should be straightforward but again, consult a qualified electrician, who can advise you accordingly and make the arrangements with EDF.

House Sales

A recent change in French law will impose an additional requirement on house sellers.  As well as the inspections for lead, asbestos and termites, the law, which will take effect from March 2008, will make an electrical inspection compulsory when a property is sold.  The exception will be if the electrical installation has been certified compliant within the last 15 years.  This would be either if the house was less than 15 years old, or if the electrical system had been replaced and certified by a CONSUEL inspection within that period.

Among the reasons for the introduction of this obligation is the protection of house buyers.  There are a large number of homes in France, where the electrical installation is in a dangerous condition.  The Comité Nationale de Consommateurs last year published figures that there were around 7 million homes in France where the electrical installation presented a grave danger to the occupants and each year around 400 people are electrocuted; around 20% of which result in fatalities.

The photograph above shows an example of negligent wiring.  In this house we found wires connected into a consumer unit in such a manner that could have resulted in somebody getting a fatal electric shock.

 

Warning: Dangerous Electrical Installations

The numbers are frightening: 22.5% of French residences present an electrical risk. In fact 7.5% are equipped with electrical installations that are qualified as “very dangerous” in a study by the organisation, Promotelec. Each year 300 000 installations are added to the 7 millions needing a partial or total renovation. The anomalies concern essentially the circuits in the bathrooms, the earthing arrangements, the consumer units and the existence of proscribed components. As well as these disquieting facts, there are some that are even more dramatic: defective electrical installations kill 100 people and cause 80 000 fires in France every year. (Source: Thierry Devige-Stewart, Le Moniteur, 03/11/2006)

If you have doubts about the safety of the electrical system in your home you could commission Promotelec to inspect your property or contact us to arrange for an inspection to be carried out.

French domestic wiring standards are very strict and for a new electricity supply, you need to have an attestation de conformité (a certificate of compliance) from Consuel (link on links page), which is issued only after an inspection, before you can get a connection from EDF. If Consuel require additional work to be done you will have to pay for another visit before the work will be passed.

The likelihood of being affected by lightning can be determined by the number of lightning strikes per square kilometre per year, the result is the Ng value or Ground Flash Density. For the Haute Vienne, the Ng value is 2,3; the Charente is 2,1 and the Dordogne is 2,7. Where the Ng value is greater than 2,5, it is obligatory to install a lightning protection system. It is also strongly advised where the property is either in an isolated position, closer than 50m to trees or buildings higher than 20m or supplied by overhead power lines. The protection of telephone lines is as important as the electrical system as these are also vulnerable to the effects of lightning strikes.

Did you know?

According to EDF and Promotelec, an organization charged with promoting the safety of electrical installations, 7.3 million homes in France dating from before 1974 do not meet the minimum standards for electrical safety. The director of Promotelec has said that there are two levels of concern.

• The first level concerns stripped insulation, bare cables and damaged switches and sockets.
• The second, which is less obvious and more difficult to define, concerns the risk of electrical installations more than a quarter of a century old when the non-visible parts of an electric circuit can be potentially dangerous.

 

France produces more electricity than it uses and exports to other countries with over 80% of production being from Nuclear reactors and over 8% from renewable sources.

A bolt of lightning can reach temperatures approaching 28,000 Kelvin (50,000 degrees Fahrenheit) in a split second. This is about five times hotter than the surface of the sun.