Irota EcoLodge

Irota EcoLodge is the first, and so-far only, climate-neutral holiday accommodation in Hungary. The houses are made of sustainable building materials. Each house is equipped with solar collectors to heat water. Irota EcoLodge generates its own energy needed for operation. Charging stations for electric cars are installed next to the holiday homes. All buildings are heated exclusively with biomass sourced from sustainably managed forests in the vicinity of Irota. The rainwater from the roofs is collected in large tanks and pumped into the houses. Wastewater is treated on-site using a special waste-water treatment facility. This facility uses bacteria to break down pollutants. The facility does not use electricity and its only visible elements are the vents on the roof. The swimming pool is cleaned naturally way: the water is purified in a separate filter pool without the use of chemicals. And of course, the electricity for the pumps is supplied by their own solar panels. Irota Ecolodge’s latest carbon footprint report is available here.

Adopted strategies

1. Sustainable building materials

The loadbearing structures are made of wood, which is a reusable material. Between the wooden structures, 15 cm thick cellulose has been blown in as insulation material. Beside the fact that this material is made of used newspapers, the cellulose is also able to absorb and release moisture (contrary to most other insulation materials). Therefore, the walls breathe. To increase the insulation of the house, wooden fibre plates of 10 cm thickness were installed on the outside, hence the total insulation thickness is 25 cm. Triple glazing ensures a very high insulation capacity.

2. Solar collectors and solar panels

Each house is equipped with solar collectors to heat water. The middle house also has solar panels generating electricity for all three houses and even offsetting the electricity consumption of the EcoLodge Budapest city apartment. Overall, the Irota EcoLodge generates the energy it needs to operate.

3. Collecting rainwater

Rainwater is a very clean source of water and it is for free. The rainwater from the roofs is collected in large tanks. From there, the water is pumped into the houses, to flush the toilets and to supply the washing machine. This way, they save up to 50% of drinking water, which is treated with chemicals and pumped to Irota from 45 km away. Rainwater is also used to replace evaporated water in the swimming pool.

4. Furniture − local and sustainable

Houses were decorated using locally available sources: recycled and reused materials were used wherever possible. They have purchased second-hand and antique furnitures from private individuals and had them renovated by the same local carpenter who has manufactured the new wooden items.