Energy saving to become a modern conference centre

The Lutheran Conference and Mission Home in Balatonszarszo, Hungary was constructed in the 1930s. Major renovations and expansions were made in 2004, which resulted in the creation of a modern hotel and conference centre on the bank of the lake Balaton. The main building is suitable to accommodate 80 people. It contains six double bedrooms, eight family rooms with three beds, eight family rooms with four beds and two family rooms with six beds.

Between autumn 2010 and spring 2011 a number of energy saving measures were implemented to complete the transformation:

- Solar collector and photovoltaic system: 80 % of the hot water demand is produced by a 40m2 solar collector system; pellet boilers cover the remaining part

- Pellet boilers: two 45 kW furnaces, which are operated automatically

- Wall-cooling system: the circulating liquid is cooled naturally by the nearby well

- Energy efficient LED lighting inside the building

- Time-controlled switches

- Building management system

Other measures were also undertaken, including improved waste collection and recycling, the installation of water-saving equipment (water aerators on the taps and water-saving showers), and a rainwater collection system which is used for toilets and on the garden.

Thanks to the various resource-saving measures implemented, the Lutheran Conference and Mission Home reports primary energy savings of some 3.73 TOE per year. This means savings of € 5 300 per year. The conference centre also manages to reduce its CO2 emissions by 34 %, or more than 18 tonnes per year.