In the French department of Haute-Savoie stands the Goûter Refuge, located at an altitude of 3,817 m in the Mont Blanc massif. It is one of the highest guarded mountain refuges in Europe and, with its distinctive egg-shaped design, heralds a new generation of offgrid buildings. Electricity for the building is supplied by our inverter-chargers and solar charge controllers.
The hut
The first construction dates back to 1858 and consisted of a simple hut. However, it has been rebuilt several times over the past 150 years as its popularity as a base for mountaineering increased.
The refuge can be reached in around five hours on foot from the Nid d’Aigle station in Saint-Gervais-les-Bains. From there, mountaineers begin the second stage of the ascent of Mont Blanc, which typically takes between five and seven hours, depending on the conditions, via what is known as the legendary “Voie Normale” (Normal Route) on the French side.
The new energy-self-sufficient hut
The refuge was inaugurated in 2014 and has a capacity of 120 people. This innovative and environmentally friendly building has four floors and is designed to withstand winds of up to 230 km/h and heavy snowfall.
The exterior of the refuge is clad in stainless steel, while the interior is finished with wood. The structural elements were manufactured in a factory and then assembled at high altitude to create the refuge, an extraordinary human and engineering challenge.
Electricity is generated by 95 m² of photovoltaic panels installed on the roof and façade. Seven of our variotrack vt 65 solar charge controllers charge a 95.71 kWh bank of lead-gel batteries, while three xtender xth 6000-48 inverter-chargers supply 18kVA power to the refuge. A cogeneration unit is planned as a backup system in case of prolonged bad weather.
With the energy produced by the solar panels and converted by our products, the cabin can power a dual-flow ventilation system which heats the new air by means of a heat exchanger. The surplus is used to melt snow to produce water. The hot water production system consists of 50 m2 of thermal solar collectors located under the shelter, which produce 2,000 liters of hot water. The wastewater is treated by filtration and sterilisation before being released into the environment.
In addition to the ventilation and the water production system, the generated electricity is used it to provide light for the refuge, power the kitchens and all the other amenities that mountaineers might need.
Date:
July 26, 2024
Components:
- 95m2 solar panels
- 50m2 thermal panels
- 95.71kWh lead-gel battery
- 3x xtender inverter/charger xth 6000-48
- 7x variotrack vt 65 charge controllers
- 1x CHP generator
- 1x remote control system rcc 02
- 1x xcom 232i
The customer:
Date:
July 26, 2024
Components:
- 95m2 solar panels
- 50m2 thermal panels
- 95.71kWh lead-gel battery
- 3x xtender inverter/charger xth 6000-48
- 7x variotrack vt 65 charge controllers
- 1x CHP generator
- 1x remote control system rcc 02
- 1x xcom 232i
The customer: