Sustainble Mountain Huts in Europe (LIFE SUSTAINHUTS)

Measures to increase the energy resilience of mountaineering tourism infrastructure are vital for the development of mountainous regions. Recent studies suggest important impacts of climate change on the energy sector and underpin the need for adaptation, notably in the electricity sector. Mountain huts are usually isolated from heating and electricity grids. They depend on fossil-fuel powered generators and boilers. Equipment and fuel is often supplied by helicopter, a costly means of transport and another source of CO2 emissions and pollution. The huts, being made of stone, are often highly energy inefficient.

LIFE SUSTAINHUTS aims to reduce CO2 emissions emanating from buildings in isolated environments, such as mountain huts. The project also aims to prevent air pollution, preserve mountainous forests, promote sustainable tourism and introduce environmentally-friendly methods for the production, distribution and use of energy.

Specific project objectives are as follows:

• Creation of a resource assessment campaign adapted to extreme mountain conditions, measuring and evaluating the demonstration sites at the micro level;
• Design and simulation of environmentally friendly off-grid renewable installations adapted to different mountain environments;
• Design of a complete off-grid hydrogen cycle, including an adapted electrolyser Balance of Plant (BOP), able to withstand critical water conditions of mountain environments, and a hybrid storage system;
• Integration of innovative and alternative technologies in mountain huts, such as hybrid storage systems and fuel cells to reduce fossil fuel dependency;
• Selection and installation of new-generation insulation materials that are more environmentally-friendly, have a low carbon cycle, increase the insulation capacity of the building by 10% of energy heat savings and are cost-competitive;
• Implementation and demonstration of nine nearly zero-emission demonstration mountain huts in four different European countries (involving different operational conditions of altitude and temperature): one demo-hut at low altitude (<1 000m), four at medium altitude (1 000-2 000 m), three at high altitude (2 000-3 000 m) and one at extremely high altitude (>3,000m);
• Development of a life-cycle assessment of the huts to determine the environmental impacts of the new technologies compared with those currently used; and
• Development of guidelines for mountain huts and off-grid areas to promote the replication of results.