Fossil Free Demonstration Area of Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park
Dolomiti Bellunesi NP Head Offices – photovoltaic panels
(photo by: Ottorino Mazzucco)Dal Piaz Mountain Hut – photovoltaic roof
(photo by: Nino Martino)Col dei Mich – photovoltaic plant
(photo by: Nino Martino)Casera VescovaÌ€ – photovoltaic panel
(photo by: Stefano Mariech)Candaten Shop and picnic area – photovoltaic panels
(photo by: Stefano Mariech)
1. The project
Freeing the Park from the use of fossil energy: this is the goal of “Parco Fossil Free”.
The project has been inspired by the idea of a protected area which, besides accomplishing its mission of nature conservation, scientific research, and environmental education, can and should represent a real “sustainable development workshop”, carrying out pilot projects of alternative technologies:
- energy production and use
- waste cycle management
- waste water treatment
- mobility
The Park becomes in this way a “technological showcase” that can inspire administrators and citizens and prompt to the application of innovative technologies also outside the protected area.
Thanks to the project “Fossil free”, the Park infrastructures (mountain huts, bivouacs, mountain pasture structures, visitor centers, info points) have been provided with energy supply plants using:
- biomasses (wood chip, pellet, and firewood)
- vegetable heating gas oil (biodiesel), micro-cogeneration, and alternative feeding of diesel engines
- thermal and photovoltaic solar energy
- micro-hydroelectric energy
The plants have been created both in the areas within the Park and in the settled areas along its perimeter, transforming it into a completely fossil energy “free” demonstration area; in other words, an area which does not contribute to the global climate change through the emission of greenhouse effect gases.
Although the fossil energy replacement potential in a protected area characterized by a limited human presence like the Park is intrinsically limited from a quantitative point of view, the great communication and pedagogical impact of the project is ensured by the great number of climbers and hikers, tourists and groups of students visiting the Park every year and seeing with their own eyes practical examples of use of renewable sources of energy.
2. Implemented measures
1. “Solarization” project (with photovoltaic, micro-hydraulic, and biodiesel micro-cogeneration energy) of the mountain infrastructures (mountain pasture structures, mountain huts, bivouacs), with the aim to eliminate as much as possible the environmental impact in contexts of great ecological sensitivity
2. Plan of demonstrative and promotional installations working with thermal and photovoltaic solar energy and low-altitude forest biomass heating, in particular in the contexts interfacing with the tourist and visitors flows (visitor centers, guest houses, hostels), in order to maximize the communication and demonstrative impact of such alternative solutions.
List of the implemented projects
| Structure | Plant |
| Guest house and Cultural Center – Agre | Biomass boiler 50 KW and district heating |
| Guest house and environmental education center Al Frassen – Val Canzoi | Biomass boiler 25KW, photovoltaic plant 1KWp, biodiesel generator |
| Environmental education center at Santina – Val Canzoi | Biomass boiler and solar thermal plant of 3.5 square meters |
| Val Imperina Visitor Center – Rivamonte | Biodiesel district heating system |
| Shop and picnic area – Candaten | Photovoltaic roof 1.5 KWp and biomass boilder |
| C.A.I. Mountain Hut Pian de Fontana | Micro hydro power plant 5KW |
| C.A.I. Mountain Hut Bianchet | Micro hydro power plant 0.5 KW |
| C.A.I. Mountain Hut Dal Piaz | Biodiesel generator 20 KWA, Photovoltaic plant 1.5 KWp |
| C.A.I. Mountain Hut Boz | Biodiesel generator 22KWA |
| Malga Erera | Biodiesel generator and boiler cheese factory and photovoltaic plant 150 Wp |
| Malga Vette Grandi | Biodiesel generator and boiler cheese factory |
| Malga Casere dei Boschi | Biomass boiler 95 KW and biodiesel boiler cheese factory |
| Surveillance mountain hut and bivouac Alvis | Photovoltaic plant 150 Wp |
| Surveillance mountain hut Brendol | Photovoltaic plant 150 Wp and wood-burning stove |
| Surveillance mountain hut and bivouac Le Prese | Photovoltaic plant 150 Wp and wood-burning stove |
| Surveillance mountain hut and bivouac Monsampian | Photovoltaic plant 150 Wp and wood-burning stove |
| Surveillance mountain hut Le Mandre | Photovoltaic plant 150 Wp |
| Surveillance mountain hut Vette piccole | Photovoltaic plant 150 Wp |
| Surveillance mountain hut Vescovà | Photovoltaic plant 150 Wp |
| Bivouac Campotorondo | Photovoltaic plant 150 Wp |
| Main building in the recreational area Pian Falcina | Solar thermal plant and biomass boile |
| Service building motorhome area Pian Falcina | Solar thermal plant |
| Cultural Center “Piero Rossi” – Belluno | Heating system with heat pumps and geothermic drills fed by photovoltaic plant 3,3 KWp (under construction) |
| Park Authority Head Offices – Feltre | Photovoltaic canopy 6.05 KWp (under construction) |
| Restaurant Antica Torre – Col dei Mich | Wood-burning stoves and photovoltaic plant 3.36 KWp (planning stage) |
3. Awards and “exportation” of the project
The project “Parco Fossil Free” obtained in 2003 the award “innovation friend of the environment”, organized by Legambiente in association with Regione Lombardia, Università Bocconi, Politecnico di Milano, Camera di Commercio di Milano, and Fondazione Cariplo.
In 2004 it was awarded the European Solar Award “Eurosolar”.
In 2008 the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Ministry for the Economic Development decided to finance a project to export the experience “Fossil free” to Pollino National Park.