Energy and environment at Hotel Prokulus

From photovoltaics to green roofs – what is actually running in the house

Over the past few years we have invested in photovoltaics, combined heat and power, solar thermal panels and heat recovery. Here is what of all that is actually running in the house.

Lighting throughout the house runs on LED, and every guest receives a ticket for public transport
Water-saving adapters in the showers, large dispensers instead of miniature bottles, key-card switches and linen changes on request
Bread, meat, milk and eggs come from South Tyrolean producers, vegetables as far as possible from farmers nearby
Guests who order their evening menu at breakfast help us throw much less away
Photovoltaics, solar thermal panels and combined heat and power generate part of our electricity and heat on site; the rest we buy in as hydroelectric power
Triple glazing, insulated walls and 1,600 m² planted flat roofs keep the house cool in summer and warm in winter

Here you can find more details:

General

The lighting throughout the house has been converted to LED
For cleaning we work with the South Tyrolean manufacturer Hygan and automatic dosing systems — as little as possible, as much as necessary
Every guest receives a free ticket for public transport

Rooms

The showers have ecoturbino water-saving adapters fitted. They mix air into the water jet: the shower feels the same, but less water flows — and less water also means less energy to heat it
Shower gel and body lotion come from large dispensers rather than single-use bottles
We change towels and bed linen daily only if you ask us to
Power in the room runs through the key-card switch by the door
Pool sandals are available on request
Information and the weekly programme are digital; we print them only if you would like a copy

Kitchen

We buy from producers nearby wherever we can, which keeps transport distances short
Our bread comes from the Mein Beck bakery, our meat from the village butcher Christanell. We source vegetables from farmers in the area as far as we can
Milk and free-range eggs come from South Tyrol

Restaurant

Our guests order their evening menu at breakfast. That lets us calculate quantities far more precisely and throw much less away
Coffee beans do not grow here — but roasting them certainly happens in South Tyrol. Our roastery, Alps Coffee-Schreyögg, is in Rabland, five kilometres away

Technology

Our 66 kWp photovoltaic array sits on the roof of the Aquagarden. In 2025 it generated around 71,000 kWh, all of which we use ourselves
Our electricity comes from three sources: this array, our gas-fired combined heat and power units, and the grid
For the share we buy in, our supplier Alperia documents hydroelectric power through guarantees of origin (Garanzie di Origine)
The CHP units produce electricity and heat at the same time and heat our pools, among other things. Because both are produced in the same place at the same moment, less energy is lost than with separate generation from a gas boiler and grid electricity
Solar thermal panels on the roofs of the main building and the staff house supply hot water and part of the heating
We reuse the waste heat from our air conditioning to heat water

Building

The windows are triple-glazed, keeping the heat out in summer and the warmth in during winter
The external walls are insulated — the basis for heating little in winter and cooling little in summer
The flat roofs of the Aquagarden, the restaurant and the kitchen carry around 1.600 m² of extensive planting. In heavy rain they hold water back and release it gradually; in summer they cool the building beneath