The energy self-sufficiency of the rural house of La Torre del Codina is a sign of the commitment to sustainability and renewables that is linked to the idea of being a benchmark in the recovery of native flora and fauna to recover the biodiversity of the environment. natural.
The rustic plot of 10 hectares is intended for wastelands of agroforestry vegetation, and for the organic cultivation of vineyards, olive groves and cereals, certified by the “Catalan Council of Organic Agricultural Production”.
The characteristic of the privileged situation of the Torre del Codina conditions the obtaining of the basic services – water, light and sewerage. The commitment to an energy-independent system makes it a model of sustainability applicable to other buildings with similar casuistry.
The house has power supplythat is generated from photovoltaic panels, with a daily generation of 14,674 Wh / day, one wind turbineannual output of 10,000 kWh, and accumulates the energy produced in a set of 12 2-volt batterieswith a capacity of 73,680 Ah. The installation is complemented by an electric diesel generator that works sporadically.
The thermal installation consists of a biomass boiler with a nominal power of 45 KW, 12 units of thermal solar panels and accumulators of domestic hot water and heating.
For the supply of drinking water, the cistern has a capacity of 40,000 liters, which collects and purifies rainwater, with the analysis, automatic control and correction of pH and chlorine. It is complemented, in times of drought, by the supply of drinking water by tanker trucks.
Household wastewater is treated in a biological treatmentplant with vertical and horizontal filters and a treatment capacity of 1,700 liters / day, which once treated and treated are transferred to a pond, which acts as a habitat and refuge for amphibians, bird troughs and wildlife.
The house has a selective collection of glass, plastic, paper and organic, and all consumables and cleaning products have the European Ecolabel ecological certificate, as wastewater can not contain aggressive chemical elements and / or harmful to the flora or fauna.
One of the aims of the Torre del Codina is to become a “center for the interpretation of alternative energies” to reach schools by developing teaching materials and conducting scheduled visits.
La Torre del Codina.
