The three elements of a self-sufficient country house

When we think of self-sufficiency in housing, the countryside comes to mind. The truth is that in an urban environment it is much easier to have the necessary conditions for this, in terms of energy and other supplies. Therefore, in this post we tell you what is meant by "self-sufficient country house" and why our tinis fit 100% to that idea.

The three elements of a self-sufficient country house

A country house is self-sufficient when it enjoys a total disconnection from its immediate surroundings. Specifically, in the following three aspects:

• Water supply
• Evacuation of wastewater
• Energy supply

In some cottages, being self-sufficient is not a choice but an obligation: their location in the middle of 'nowhere' makes it difficult or impossible for the water, sewage and energy supply to reach them directly and permanently.In this sense, your tini can be self-sufficient in one, two or all three of these aspects, depending on your own preferences in terms of the environmental impact you want to avoid, your comfort or your budget. Here's how we do it.

Self-sufficiency in water supply

Having something as simple as a mains water connection is not easy when it comes to a house in the middle of the countryside. If the work to connect the house to the mains water supply is complex, the alternative is to install a 1,000 liter water tank. In our projects, this has an additional cost of about 1,600€ and the duration of the content will depend on the consumption habits of each person. As a reference, a shower may require 50 liters of water and a washing machine, from 40 liters.

Self-sufficiency for wastewater disposal

Another important connection of any dwelling is the evacuation of sewage, which is done through the drainage and sewerage network of the municipality. But when in a self-sufficient country house it is necessary to resort to a septic tank, located on the outskirts of the house and connected to the house through a pipe. Inside the septic tank there is a process of separation of solid waste and cleaning of dirty water: the solid waste is stored inside the septic tank and the filtered and completely clean water is discharged into the ground. The cost of this additional system is €3,740.

Energy self-sufficiency: self-generation of electricity

As far as conventional energy is concerned, its usefulness is twofold: heat generation (heating) and electricity generation. In the first case, the most common options are gas (butane or natural gas network) and diesel. But electricity can also be conceived as a solution to everything: with it it is not only possible to power all the appliances in the house but also to feed the heating system, in this case with electric heaters. The self-sufficient tinis are equipped with:

- Photovoltaic Panel - Modules 490w (Units According to Project)

- Inverter-Carg Victrom Multip Ii48v500va 70-50

- Reg.Max.Victron Smartsolar Mppt250/85-Trve.Cam-Cerbo Gx

- 3 Lithium Batteries 5kw/H.

This installation has a cost of €14,420 and is intended to provide electricity for weekend use tinis.

Nowadays batteries are expensive and difficult to amortize, therefore it is recommended that your tini, although it can be conceived as an energy self-sufficient cottage, also has a connection to the mains. This is useful to guarantee the supply in days of low solar radiation or when the battery runs out. In addition, you should also keep in mind that the surplus energy, i.e., that which is generated and not consumed, can be fed into the general grid, thus producing a certain economic benefit, which is interesting for the days when the tini is not inhabited.

By Ricardo Domínguez Medina