Solar hot water systems in Spain are very practical, even in the winter. If these sources are impracticable for whatever reason, you may need better insulation (or be prepared to put on an extra jumper!)īut if you’re building a house in Spain, especially on the Mediterranean coast where a modern Marbella villa can easily afford you both luxury and an energy-efficient home, you can reasonably expect to spend most of the year living comfortably in shaded and ventilated outside spaces with no need for space heating.Īnd as for cooling, there are a number of passive features that can be incorporated into the design. Air and ground source heat pumps will require some electricity, which needs to be factored in. A biomass heater will require pellets, olive pips, almond shells or plain old wood. If you are planning a renewable heat source for space heating, there are various sources to choose from. So, if you’re planning your home with no heating for the space and are relying on an HRV, then you need to make sure you are generating sufficient electricity. Body heat, with perhaps some cooking heat, can be enough to warm the home because no heat escapes.īear in mind that a mechanical ventilation system, which is essential in an airtight building, will need electricity. Off-grid heating: Making your home in Spain comfortable year-roundĪn airtight, well-insulated home with mechanical ventilation and heat recovery ventilator system (HRV) will quite possibly need no heat source at all. Change one of them, and you’ll have to change the others to maintain the energy balance. This means talking to your architect in Spain about how the building will be used in each season, how many people live there and what they’ll be doing day-to-day.Įvery factor in the villa design affects the other: the orientation, volume, insulation, airtightness, renewable sources, etc. Whether it’s on-grid or off-grid and totally autonomous from all main services, a truly energy-efficient home will need to be properly designed with the energy balance of the building in mind. It’s far easier to be more efficient in how you use energy than it is to generate your own energy. The basic principle of running a home with all the above amenities off-grid in Spain is efficiency nothing can go to waste. Water for drinking, bathing, flushing, and irrigation.Electricity for light, food refrigeration and other domestic appliances.Space heating and cooling (room temperature control). Here’s everything that makes up a home in Spain that you’ll need to provide energy for: However, there’s far more to consider than simply installing a few solar panels and unplugging from the energy supplier. In short, it is indeed possible to live completely off-grid in Spain, and you don’t have to fill the house with candles and gas lamps like it’s the Stone Age. Living off-grid in Spain is often cited as a path to both escaping the rat race and saving money on hefty monthly bills to heat and cool your home.Įco Vida Homes clients are increasingly asking if we can design a home with all mod-cons that is not just off-grid, but totally independent from mains services and backup generators.īut is it even possible to have a completely self-sufficient home in Spain complete with off-grid heating, electricity and water? Off-grid Spain: Everything in your house that needs an energy source
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