Energy:
In the Summer though, this phenomenon can be a problem, as it causes an excess of heat. This is why the projection and height of the rain gutter were calculated in a way that maximized the shadow in the Summer months; if that isn’t enough, when the inside temperature rises over a certain value, a mechanism automatically lowers the tents until the glass wall is in the shade.
Solar energy
The Sun’s heat is our main energy source.
In the winter the glass walls are oriented in such a way to be hit as much as possible from the sun, promoting the greenhouse effect, thanks to which the heat enters and stays in the house.
We have thermic solar panels and we are proud members of a association (CEIS) which puts a network of photovoltaic and hydroelectric structures in the valley, providing us with cheat and renewable electric energy.
Energy from the Earth
To amplify thermal stability, the air we constantly provide inside the house passes through a tube long over 100 meters and very thick (40 cm diameter) set at a depth of 3 – 4 meters.
The air in this journey heats up in the Winter and cools down in the Summer.
This system is called free-cooling.
Casariga is a hypogeum structure, meaning “underground”.
This characteristic increases the thermal stability, so it is warmer in the Winter and cooler in the Summer, as well as a leveling between day and night.
Geothermic: we have 4 100 meters deep wells dug in the rock and through a heat pump we take the warmth from the ground and we bring it in the house with a system of underfloor water heating.
In the months of December and January heating our house costs less than 1 euro per day.
The process works the other way during Summer; we take away the heat from the house and we send it in the bowels of the Earth.
We have very high thermal isolation. The air exchange is constant, and it’s regulated from the CO2 levels read in the various premises; in the Winter the air coming in meets in a heat exchanger with the air coming out, retrieving the heat with a 90% efficiency.
This anti-dispersion centre allows us in the middle of Winter to keep a temperature of 22 degrees in a room, only using the head produced by the human bodies inhabiting it.
The whole thing with air always clean and oxygen rich.
