ISOVER equips a self-sufficient house at 2,690 m! ISOVER accepted the challenge to insulate for extreme conditions in a mountain refuge in Lötschenpass, Switzerland. ISOVER products delivered to the construction site by helicopter. This project featured in the Isover Energy Efficiency Awards 2009.
This project involved the extension of the mountain refuge on the Lötschenpass glacier to enable it to accommodate up to 80 guests and 10 employees during the tourist season, from June to November. Because of its location high in the Swiss Alps, the refuge has always been self-sufficient: with fresh water from the glacier, dirty water cleaned by natural bacteria, wood for heating and electricity produced by photovoltaic panels and a generator. The extension had to provide considerably increased comfort conditions for the guests, whilst maintaining the self-sufficiency and ’cosiness’ of the refuge, but without any impact on the surrounding environment. As the refuge was privately owned, the work did not qualify for local or national grants. Because of its isolated location, energy from cooking, heating etc, had to be used efficiently, with optimum use made of alternative wind and solar energy sources. Lack of local labour and difficult weather conditions meant the extension work had to be carried out during the tourist season, whilst the refuge remained open to visitors. The work was done in stages, with the first priority being extension of the building. The use of prefabricated timber sections enabled this work to be completed quickly, providing space for 25 beds to accommodate the workers during the week, as well as week-end visitors. High levels of insulation have added to the success of the project, with the refuge keeper reporting overnight temperature drops of only 1°C in summer and 3°C in winter.