France
Adaptation
Biodiversity
Circularity
Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU)
Water
Building
Construction
Energy
Mobility

Welcome to Ecovergne

Since 2010, as a family, we have eco-built an eco-friendly place of 4 spruce wood chalets accompanied by an indoor swimming pool heated naturally by a solarium. The only energy source is purely electric but 100% renewable.

An initiative of Gîtes Bon Air

Overview of the project

4 bioclimatic spruce chalets eco-designed and eco-built in 2009 with permeable paths to prevent rainwater runoff…
Harvesting the sun that rises 365 days a year:
– 14.5 KwC of photovoltaic panels for year-round self-consumption since June 2022…
– 4.4 KwC of PV panels for resale to Eléctricité de France since 2010…
– Solarium/pool heater for a 26° to 34° pool from May to November without 1 cent of energy and solar shower in the pool.
Geothermal heating with 2 boreholes of 100m each since 2010 and 400-liter solar water heater at 1000m altitude…
Canadian wells for frost-free heating of the equipment room and preheating of the pool area.
Rainwater recovery to supply the toilets.
Pumping of water from the basement at -20m, of exceptional “Volvic 63-type” quality.
Salt pool, more natural than chlorine (to avoid buying expensive and polluting Clore).
Selective sorting, composting, circular-economy glass sorting for bottling underground water.
9 charging stations, including 3 Tesla since 2017…
Biodiversity: lawn mowing only every 4 weeks to maintain grasshoppers… (less noise for residents)
Environmental comfort: no noise, olfactory or visual pollution and no radon in the 4 cottages.
Chalets and pathways with flexible flooring are 100% accessible to all 4 disabilities.

Objective

Demonstration by example of an energetic, ecological and economic tourism activity towards a sustainable transition...

Level of progress

Ongoing research

Project timeline

01/ 01/2009 - Project still in progress

Quantitative results
  • 365 days a year, from 4 to 5,000 overnight stays depending on the year (less during the Covid period…).
  • The financial results for electricity consumption show a production surplus, and so the Gîtes Bon Air are in NegaWattHeure mode.
  • Reviews : Abritel/HomeWay customer reviews 9.4/10____Airbnb 9.6/10____Booking 8.8/10 ____Google 9.6/100
  • The Tourism & Handicaps label enables us to welcome around 15% of partially disabled customers (for all 4 disabilities).
  • Welcoming the public: Young People and Sport…
  • Since 2022, Gîtes Bon Air has been part of the Villages de Gîtes group (70 villages in France).
  • Numerous press articles: Internet, local and national press, radio, France3 Auvergne, TV5…
Qualitative results
  • Classification 4**** Préfecture 2012
  • Tourisme & Handicaps” label for 4 disabilities 2012
  • 3*** Macarons recognition by Promotelec France for “A safe, healthy habitat adapted to everyone and respectful of the environment”.
  • Contributor No. 360 to the EcoCity Nantes Summit in 2013 and member of construction21.eu
  • Nominated 2 times by Echo Touristique in the “Hotel Concept” category in 2013 and in the “Sustainable Tourism” category in 2014.
  • Trophée Accessibilité ” Petites structures touristiques ” in 2014 (Université Paris-Dauphine)
  • Trophée Horizons ” Maîtrise de l’Energie ” en 2022 awarded by Les Acteurs du Tourisme
  • Tourisme Durable ATD ( Mairie de Paris XXeme)
  • Trophée 2023 du Tourisme Accessible Trophée d’Or de la Direction Générale des Entreprises ( Salon Autonomic Porte de Versailles)
Financing

32% aid: Cantal General Council 2010, Auvergne regional prefecture 2011, State 2012, Europe FEADER 2012, ANCV 2013
68% Loans and self-financing

Find out more
About the
organisation

Gîtes Bon Air

website
Guy Salat
CEO Active Manager
guy.salat9@orange.fr
06 45 12 57 94 33 6 45 12 57 94

Since 2010, we’ve been working as a family to build an eco-environment with 4 spruce chalets and a covered swimming pool heated naturally by a solarium.
These tourist accommodations, which can host up to 35 people, are open all year round, generating between 4 and 5,000 overnight stays.
All the buildings are accessible to PRM (12 beds) for all 4 disabilities. The only energy source is electric, but 100% renewable…
Successively and in complementary ways, photovoltaic panels (self-consumption), solar water heaters, geothermal energy for underfloor heating at an altitude of 1,000 m, photovoltaic outdoor lighting by detectors, compost, sorted waste collection, recharging stations for electric vehicles…