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This house is a pentagonal timber turret where the concept of traditional chalet is re-elaborated with a contemporary attitude. This building was designed as a solar…
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THE SOLAR
CHALET
  • Address
    Gewerbestrasse 4, 3770 Zweisimmen, Switzerland
  • Location
    46°33’26” N | 7°22’34” E
  • Altitude
    933 MAMSL
The house without heating

This house is a pentagonal timber turret where the concept of traditional chalet is re-elaborated with a contemporary attitude. This building was designed as a solar direct energy generating house, meaning that its energy demand is very low and consequently a centralized heating system as well as a controlled ventilation system is not necessary. Heating will be provided through solar passive gains, people and electrical appliances. The walls are made of wood which supports and insulates the building without the need of an additional insulating layer. Even though the roof has an irregular shape, the use of solar shingles with different geometries allows to obtain a homogeneous surface.

Rough sawn facade.

Building characteristics
  • Building typology
    Residential and administrative
  • Construction type
    New
  • Year of construction
    2014
  • Gross floor area
    520 m²
  • Energy index
    19 kWh/m²a (heating and electricity)
  • Energy labelling
Energy
  • Active solar surface
    130 m²
  • Active solar surface ratio
    > 75%
  • Peak power
    14 kWp
  • Building skin application
    Solar tiles
  • Self consumption
    n/a
Energy production
0
kWh

The building is located in the business park.

BIPV module
  • Manufacturer
    Sunstyle AG
  • Cell technology
    Mono-crystalline
  • Cell colour
    Black
  • Dimensions
    870x870x6 mm
  • Specific power
    up to 162 Wp/m²
Technical details

The traditional slate and shingle roofs in the Alpine region inspired the design of these frame-less and diamond-shaped photovoltaic modules. This installation principle guarantees optimal water-tightness and roof stability as the solar tiles are screwed directly into the sub-roof structure using a fitted sub-construction made of wood or stainless steel. The installation pattern and the seamless adaptation to the individual roof shape allow the creation of a homogeneous surface.

Projection
Hotspot image
Parties involved
  • Owners
    Regula Trachsel and Sascha Schär
  • Architect
    N11 Architekten GmbH
  • Photovoltaic Installer
    Sunstyle AG
  • Energy consultant
    Energiebüro Hanimann
  • Photo
    N11 Architekten GmbH
Other
  • Awards and recognitions
    Constructive Alps 2015 (nomination)
  • Building costs
    850,000 CHF

The roof is covered with photovoltaic shingles

SolAR