Nowadays, words like ecological, biological, sustainable, climate friendly are buzzwords often used for marketing purposes. Irota EcoLodge really tries to make a difference to reduce the ecological footprint of your stay, while showing that eco-friendliness and luxury go well together. Here are some of the features.
Climate neutral
Irota EcoLodge is the first, and so-far only, climate-neutral holiday accommodation in Hungary. Climate-neutral means that all carbon emissions are compensated so that the net emissions are zero or below zero. Click here to read the latest carbon footprint report.
Sustainable building materials
The bearing 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 10 cm thick were put on the outside, bringing the total insulation to 25 cm. Triple glazing ensures a very high insulation factor.
Solar collectors and solar panels
Each house is equipped with solar collectors to heat water. The middle house has solar panels to generate electricity for all three houses including electricity to offset the electricity consumption of the EcoLodge Budapest city apartment. All in all, Irota EcoLodge generates it own energy.
Charging Stations
In 2019, we were honoured to win the E.On Global Energy Award. For the convenience of our guests, we decided to use the prize money to install charging stations – powered by electricity from our solar panels – for electric cars next to our holiday homes.
Heating
The houses are heated with biomass - wood sourced from sustainable managed forests in the vicinity of Irota.
Collecting rainwater
Rainwater is a very clean source of water and falls down on us for free. At Irota EcoLodge, the water 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, we 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 replenish evaporated water in the swimming pool.
Natural swimming pool
The swimming pool has a natural way of cleaning the water: In a separate part of the pool water is purified without the use of chemicals. And of course, the electricity for the pumps is supplied by our own solar panels.
Biological waste-water treatment
Wastewater is treated on-site using a special waste-water treatment facility. This facility uses bacteria which break-down the waste. The facility does not use electricity and its only visible elements are the ventilators on the roof.
Furniture − local and sustainable
We have decorated our houses using locally available sources: wherever we could, we have re-used materials. We have purchased second-hand and antique furnitures from private individuals and had them renovated by the same local carpenter who has manufactured our new wooden items.
Laundry
In our separate utility building, we also use rainwater to do the laundry, significantly reducing the use of detergents as well. Our detergent is a washing nut extract. Solar panels generate the necessary electricity.
