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Monte Rosa Hut, Switzerland

Taking energy and operational efficiency to new heights

Discover how the Monte Rosa Hut achieves exceptional energy and operational efficiency through innovative Siemens technology in extreme alpine conditions.

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Creating a smart building in the middle of the alps

At an altitude of 2,883 meters, the Monte Rosa Hut offers shelter and accommodation to mountaineers and hikers in the Valais Alps. Renewable energy sources and intelligent building technology behind the shimmering facade of the 'Mountain Crystal' ensure that their stay is not only pleasant but also as efficient and sustainable as possible.

So the challenges: How do you create a comfortable environment for guests and staff that has the least impact on the environment? And how do you troubleshoot during the winter months when heavy snow makes the hut even more inaccessible?

The answer is twofold: You need renewable energy to reduce your carbon footprint and a smart building that you can access and control from anywhere. At the Monte Rosa Hut, this is what the integrated building management system, Desigo CC, and the digital building platform, Building X, make possible.

Key facts

Project overview

Monte Rosa Hut
  • Building X cloud-based remote control and monitoring with Energy Manager, Operations Manager, and Comfort AI
  • Local operation and monitoring with Desigo CC
  • Building X connects every system and device
  • 84 m² rooftop photovoltaic panels plus 70 m² on a dedicated structure
  • 60 m² solar thermal collectors for hot water generation
  • Battery energy storage
  • Utilization of local meltwater resources
  • Mini CHP plant for backup power and heat
  • Heating
  • Thermal storage
  • Water disinfection
  • Heat recovery ventilation
  • Wastewater treatment
  • Greywater reuse
Project timeline

Peak performance in extreme conditions

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2010 milestones

  • Opening of Monte Rosa Hut
  • High degree of autonomy through PV
  • Processing of all building data in Navigator
Building X

Easy access to remote locations

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Since 2024, the open and flexible IoT platform Building X has been working as the "operating system" of the Monte Rosa Hut. It makes all the data generated from field devices and the building management Desigo CC available to apps that can monitor and control the entire building.

Building X is an open platform that is vendor agnostic. With our ready-to-use apps, the hut operator can access the building's systems at any time-even remotely in the harshest conditions when the hut can't be physically reached.

BUILDING X APPLICATIONS

Solutions used in the Monte Rosa Hut

Building X - Energy Manager App Icon

Energy Manager

The Energy Manager is the most important tool in making the Monte Rosa Hut as sustainable as possible. Every 15 minutes, the building management system, Desigo CC, sends data from the hut to the cloud. There, the Energy Manager app analyzes the data and identifies inefficiencies.

Building X - Operations Manager App Icon

Operations Manager

The Operations Manager uses data from controllers and gateways to remotely monitor and troubleshoot the Monte Rosa Hut. This supports the hut operator to keep the building up and running even when physical access isn't possible during the winter months.

Building X - Comfort AI App Icon

Comfort AI

Building X makes the building's data accessible and allows for a variety of use cases. The next step for the Monte Rosa Hut is to implement the Comfort AI app. It uses AI to create ideal indoor conditions in the hut, while enabling an additional 6.5% energy savings on average per month.

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