All the ski stars have to do is keep warm in the solar-powered starting house: the ‘icon’ of the Matterhorn races

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Premiere high on the mountain: the first solar-powered starting house used in the Ski World Cup was built this week at 3,720 meters above sea level. Christian Ziörjen, CEO of the Matterhorn Cervino Speed ​​Opening, which organizes the ski races, is delighted. “It’s the icon of a start-up house,” he says.

He was also present at the construction, together with Thomas Ming from Enerpeak, a company in the BKW network. He is head of the Visp USA branch – and “an electrician by training, but also a planner and electrical engineer”.

His mission: to install the photovoltaic system and ensure that the electricity generated by the solar cells in the house on the mountain can flow unhindered to where it is needed. “Time registration, billboards, television screens – several things require electricity in the starting house,” he says.

TV compatible light

Of course, lighting is also important: “Our Lightpeak specialists, led by Bruno Crivelli, ensured that there were no reflections that could disrupt the television broadcast,” says Ming.

However, no electric heaters are used in the starting house on the glacier, where temperatures can drop to minus 20 degrees. That wouldn’t be ecological. The ski stars cannot warm up, but are well protected from the wind in the starting house designed by the Ingenhoven partners.

The inflatable house is very quick to set up. “Once everything is set up, assembly and disassembly can be done in 90 minutes – with just one person,” says Ming.

Cables must be able to withstand the cold

The choice of materials had to take the high-alpine conditions into account. “The cables must remain flexible down to minus 30 degrees, which means that they must not become brittle due to weather conditions. That’s why it was very important that we chose the right material.”

Bad weather was also taken care of. If the sun does not shine enough, i.e. the solar system cannot produce enough electricity, it is possible to compensate for the shortage with electricity from the socket. “For this purpose, a line approximately one kilometer long was drawn from Gobba di Rollin station,” says Ming. However, when the sun shines, the starting house is virtually self-sufficient, that is, self-sufficient.

Pioneer project

Because a starter home in this style has never been built before, the specialists cannot rely on experience. Thomas Ming has hardly had any sleepless nights because of this. “In today’s world, not only technology is crucial, but also communication. It was great with everyone involved. We looked for and found solutions together.” He goes on to say that he always enjoyed taking care of special projects. ‘I learn a lot from it. And I support these types of projects with all my heart and soul.”

The innovative Starthaus is also a relaxing experience for Speed ​​Opening boss Christian Ziörjen. «The entire race organization and the media have asked a lot of us all year round. But when it came to the starting house, I was always relaxed. I was sure that everything would be fine.” When asked whether the mobile building will be used for other purposes after the races, he says: “We are looking at whether we can and want to use it for events in the summer, which would mean sustainable use. But nothing is ready yet.”

Source : Blick