Energy Renovation in Essonne (91)
Energy renovation in Essonne primarily concerns detached houses built between the 1950s and the 1980s. Poorly insulated loft spaces, walls with no effective internal lining, gas or oil boilers nearing the end of their life: the same situations recur from one house to the next. Added to these are a few large housing estates from the 1970s and older properties in the rural communes to the south. GRAM Énergie works across this entire outer-suburban area, from loft insulation to replacing the heating system, as well as ventilation and domestic hot water. Every project begins with a survey of the existing situation, followed by a prioritised plan of works.
Tip: have your energy performance certificate (DPE) and energy bills to hand for a more accurate estimate.
The building stock of Essonne and its energy challenges
Essonne is a department made up mainly of detached houses. The homes of the post-war boom years, built in concrete block or brick, went up before any serious thermal requirements existed. Their unconverted lofts let a large share of the heat escape, their walls are rarely lined and the windows have often only been partly replaced. The result: cold rooms on the north side, draughts and a heating bill that is hard to keep under control.
The large housing estates of the 1970s raise different questions. In a building under shared ownership, decisions are taken collectively and the works affect the envelope, the boiler room and the ventilation all at once. A preliminary audit is essential in order to prioritise the work and avoid piecemeal projects that have no lasting effect on service charges.
In the south of the area, rural housing combines old stone houses, longhouses and converted outbuildings. Oil heating remains common there, sometimes for want of a gas connection, which makes it fertile ground for a heat pump. These thick walls do, however, call for insulation solutions that respect their ability to release moisture.
Unconverted lofts account for the first heat losses in a house built before 1980.
Our services in the 91
Energy audit
Before any work is undertaken, the audit measures the home’s actual heat losses: lofts, walls, floors, windows, heating system and air renewal. In a 1960s house as much as in a flat under shared ownership, it brings the priorities to light and compares several renovation scenarios. This document then serves as the basis for putting together the grant application. Discover our energy audit service.
Insulation
Insulating unconverted lofts remains the first worthwhile job in most houses in the area: heat escapes upwards and access is often through a simple hatch. We also treat walls, from the inside or the outside, ground floors over crawl spaces and windows still fitted with single glazing. All our insulation solutions are sized following a technical survey.
Heat pump
An air-to-water heat pump replaces an ageing oil or gas boiler, particularly in houses already fitted with radiators. Air-to-air models suit more compact homes or extensions. We check the emitters, the volume to be heated and the siting of the outdoor unit, taking account of how close the neighbours are on dense housing estates. See ourheat pump offering.
Thermodynamic water heater
Domestic hot water accounts for a large share of consumption once it relies on an old electric cylinder. A thermodynamic water heater draws heat from the ambient air to warm the water, using considerably less electricity. It finds its place in a garage, a utility room or a ventilated basement, all common arrangements in the local housing stock. Details on thethermodynamic water heater.
Mechanical ventilation (VMC)
A better insulated home has to be better ventilated. Without controlled air renewal, moisture builds up and air quality deteriorates, especially after the windows have been replaced. Humidity-sensitive single-flow or heat-recovery mechanical ventilation delivers this airflow continuously, without wasting the heat produced. We match the system to the volume and the layout of the rooms. See our mechanical ventilation installations.
Smart thermostat
Controlling the heating precisely avoids heating unoccupied rooms or an empty house during the day. A smart thermostat programmes the time slots, adjusts the set point to suit how the home is used and can be operated remotely. It is a simple addition to make once a heat pump has been installed, or on a recent boiler. Discover the smart thermostat.
Global energy renovation
Tackling a single element rarely gives the expected result. A global renovation combines insulation, heating, hot water and ventilation in one coherent project, planned in the right order. This approach aims for a genuine leap in performance and opens the way to the most comprehensive support schemes. We coordinate the trades through to handover. Seeglobal energy renovation.
The towns where we work in the 91
- Évry-Courcouronnes: a new town where blocks of flats and terraced houses call for different answers, from communal heating to individual insulation.
- Massy: between older residential streets and recent developments, needs vary considerably from one road to the next.
- Corbeil-Essonnes: the old town-centre building stock sits alongside large housing estates, with damp walls, tired windows and ageing boiler rooms.
- Savigny-sur-Orge: a dense fabric of houses dating from the 1930s to the 1970s, with accessible lofts and boilers often nearing the end of their life.
- Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois: the housing estates offer real potential for a heat pump, thanks to open plots and existing pipework.
- Athis-Mons: houses and small blocks of flats exposed to aircraft noise, where thermal performance and acoustic comfort are dealt with together.
- Palaiseau: older houses and new developments sit side by side, so every programme of works starts from a bespoke assessment.
- Viry-Châtillon: riverside houses along the Seine and older buildings under shared ownership, for which insulation, ventilation and heating are often tackled together.
- Draveil: leafy residential housing where many oil boilers remain, natural candidates for replacement by a heat pump.
- Yerres: houses with gardens that lend themselves to a global renovation, carried out element by element until comfort is even throughout.
- Étampes: the old building stock of the historic centre and suburban extensions, two approaches to a project that we distinguish from the first visit.
- Les Ulis: blocks of flats from the 1970s for which a large-scale renovation, coordinated with the shared-ownership association, remains the most effective route.
Grants and funding for your works
Several national schemes support renovation projects in Essonne:MaPrimeRénov’ (the French state renovation grant), theenergy savings certificates (CEE), thereduced VAT (TVA) rate on energy improvement works and the éco-prêt à taux zéro (the French interest-free renovation loan). Obtaining them requires the use of a company holding RGE certification and compliance with the technical criteria specific to each piece of equipment. The conditions and the amounts depend on your home, the nature of the works and your circumstances. We go through these points with you during the personalised assessment, starting from thecontact form. The French public service France Rénov’ lists the schemes currently in force.
Combining the different schemes is something to prepare before the quotations are signed.
How a project runs with GRAM Énergie
Step 1
A first conversation to establish the nature of your home, your priorities and your timing constraints.
An on-site technical survey
Measurements, condition of the insulation, the heating and the ventilation.
Step 3
A costed proposal setting out the works selected, the order in which they will be carried out and the grants available.
Step 4
Completion of the works by our teams, with a single point of contact to follow progress.
Step 5
Handover of the works, commissioning of the equipment and delivery of the supporting documents.
Frequently asked questions
Which works should come first in a 1960s house in Essonne?
Insulating the unconverted loft almost always comes top: the job is quick, access is simple and the effect on comfort is immediate. Next come the windows, the walls, then replacing the heating system. An audit makes it possible to confirm this order in the light of the actual condition of your house.
Can a heat pump be installed on a dense housing estate?
Yes, provided the siting of the outdoor unit is handled carefully. We look at the distance to the property boundaries, the orientation, the routing of the connections and the noise level as perceived from neighbouring homes. The estate regulations or the local planning rules may impose requirements on appearance, which we check beforehand.
How does a renovation work in a building under shared ownership in the 91?
Works on the communal areas, such as the façade or the boiler room, require a vote at the general meeting, usually preceded by an audit. Inside a flat, you remain free to act on the ventilation, your own windows or the domestic hot water. We work in both cases.
What should an oil boiler be replaced with in the south of the department?
An air-to-water heat pump is the most common solution where the home has a garden and a radiator circuit in good condition. In older stone houses, we strengthen the insulation first so that the unit can be correctly sized and an oversized output avoided.
Is an audit needed before applying for grants?
An audit is not required for every measure, but it becomes decisive as soon as a large-scale project is considered. It puts figures on the heat losses, prioritises the elements and makes the application more secure. For a renovation carried out in several stages, above all it avoids doing the work in the wrong order.
Are you preparing an energy renovation project in Essonne? Tell us about your home, how it is currently heated and the works you have in mind: we will arrange a technical survey and put together a suitable proposal. Fill in thecontact form to start your personalised assessment.
Let’s talk about your project
Tell us about your home and your goals: we help you prioritise the works and identify the grants worth looking into.