Livegreen Blog
The Crystal: The first Alpine hotel with 100% renewable energy sources
by Christiane Burklein on Friday, 17th February 2012 in Sustainable Architecture
Enjoying the treasures of nature at 2000 metres above sea level, whether it be the winter snow or the flowering meadows of summer, without affecting our planet’s CO2 balance is perfectly possible at The Crystal 4 star Hotel and Spa in the famous Oetztal (presented in Floornature’s “Itineraries”, http://www.floornature.it/itinerari/architettura-alpi-dell-oztal-tirolo-5274/) in the Tyrol.
The hotel concept, which has won awards such as the Condé Nast Johanson 2010 “Going Green” Award, is based on use of solar and geothermal energy only: 265 square metres of solar installations and heat pumps totalling about 475 kWh, with 67 probes at a depth of 120 m. Energy is stored in a well-insulated 20,000 litre “buffer” container.
The entire complex is heated to a low temperature (by radiating underfloor and wall panels), all controlled by latest generation domotics to respond to requirements and eliminate waste.
Use of solar and geothermal energy cuts operating and maintenance costs considerably and, above all, reduces CO2 emissions by about 225,000 kg/year. Technologies of this type may be expected to pay for themselves in 5 years, even without taking into account today’s repeated increases in the price of fossil fuels.
The hotel itself offers guests not only the lovely natural surroundings of the village of Obergurgl and the Oetztal but a luxurious spa and plenty of ways of spending an enjoyable and healthful vacation while remembering that “We have not inherited the earth from our ancestors, but borrowed it from our children”.
Design: Haid & Falkner GmbH & Co.KG , http://www.haidfalkner.at
Location: Obergurgl, Oetztal in the Tyrol, Austria, http://www.thecrystal.at
Technological systems: E. Rainalter, Heizung-Sanitäre-Lüftung GmbH, http://www.rainalter.at
Related links: www.floornature.com/itineraries/architecture-alpi-dell-oztal-tirolo-5274/
Photographs: Courtesy of The Crystal, www.thecrystal.at
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