Castles

Schloss Elmau is located in a natural preserve and makes every effort to reduce its CO2 foot print to a minimum. Along with our dedication to the care of our guests, Schloss Elmau strives to embrace an ethos that is mindful of the planet. For this reason, we heat Schloss Elmau by burning wood waste from the surrounding forests in our 1 MW wood chip power plant. As a backup and to cover peak demand we use our own combined heat and power cogeneration plant (CHP) which is fired by gas and generates 50% of our electricity. Our own hydroelectric power station, which has been in operation for more than 100 years, contributes another 15%. In addition we have reduced electric power consumption by using LED lamps developed in-house and using software to limit peak demand.

Halogen spots – which are still necessary for aesthetic reasons – are dimmed to just 2% of their possible output. Plastic straws have long been replaced with bamboo straws and plastic bottles with glass bottles. We only use and offer drinking water from our own high quality and mineral rich mountain source. All our trout, meat and dairy products are produced by bio-farmers in our region. Amenities are made with natural ingredients and come in reusable packaging. Food waste is disposed of in a biogas plant nearby. Waste glass and waste paper are recycled. Insulation of both hotels, which were build in 2007 and 2015 with local construction companies, exceed the European Energy Conservation ENEV) Criteria by more than 20%.