Philosophy
Energy self-sufficiency
We take care of the planet so that it will take care of us.
We are part of it and therefore we love it. From the very beginning we decided to create a hotel with absolute sustainable and environmentally friendly values.
Can Buch is a 100 % self-sufficient country house with renewable energy.
Being in the middle of the forest, we don't get any electricity, water or sewage.
Therefore, we have to do everything with the natural resources of the place.
1- Electricity
The electricity we have in Can Buch is produced by 36 photovoltaic panels that generate electricity from sunlight. This electricity is then stored in batteries so that it can be used when there is no sun.
2- Running water
The water used in Can Buch is rainwater. We harvest it from the roofs, it is collected in gutters that channel it into downspouts. It goes through a filter of sand and gravel to separate the sediments and it finally reaches an underground storage.
In this deposit we store it and, when the sun is up, we make it rise to other deposits on top of the mountain with a low-consumption pump.
This is where it remains, so that we can use it whenever we want without needing a high voltage pump. Thanks to the difference of altitude, it reaches us with good pressure.
3- Hot water and heating
The hot water and heating of Can Buch are obtained thanks to the wood that we collect manually from our forest.
Through a forest management plan, we cut young trees and old branches in the forest: this way we improving the quality of the forest, we prevent possible fires, diversify ecosystems and encourage large trees to grow stronger. As a result, we obtain sustainable, local wood that we transform into heat by burning it.
This wood is dried from year to year and then burned in a biomass boiler that heats the water and stores it in a container for when we want to use it.
4- Waste water (sewage)
Can Buch's black and grey water is piped through drainage canals and treated in a plant and gravel purifier, where it is filtered by separating the solid matter from the liquid. Both are purified, ultimately obtaining water that can be used to irrigate fields and fruit trees.
Food self-sufficiency
Here at Can Buch one of the fundamental premises is to reduce, recycle and reuse as much as possible in all areas. Close the loop and achieve self-sufficiency as far as possible.
Through permaculture we try to improve our ecosystem day after day, taking care of it while obtaining food for nourishment.
Permaculture is a set of practices and ways of thinking that aims to create sustainable agricultural production. It assumes a holistic approach to agricultural systems with the goal of creating a productive, healthy ecosystem that cares for nature, animals and people.
We make sure that we don't throw anything away and that we always find a second use for each by-product. For example, animals give us agricultural products to feed ourselves and, at the same time, manure with which to fertilize our fields and vegetable garden. We eat a part of the crops and we use the residues, such as peels, to feed our animals and to make compost to fertilize our soil. We also save the seeds of our vegetables in order to sow them the following season.
At the same time, we try to improve every day the ecosystem in which we live making it more balanced and varied.
We have installed nest boxes for birds, insect hotels and water ponds that increase the biodiversity. We have also planted flowers and installed beehives with the aim of enhancing and reproducing the native bee species of the area, which help us to prevent possible infestations and problems in our garden, our orchards and in general in nature.
The result is a place each time more varied, healthy and balanced.
Our desire is to share it with all of you, pass on our learning and enjoy it together for a few days.
