Social Responsibility and Environmental Care

The environment is fundamental for the preservation of the park; we have made a serious commitment and practiced in innovative ways of energy generation, such as wind energy, hydraulic and solar.

Refugio El Chileno

Wind Turbine / Bio filter

Refugio El Chileno has a wind turbine that takes advantage of the strong southern winds, always present, especially in summertime, and generates electricity through a battery bank that stores the power and then pushes it through an energy inverter that finally provides the power required to enable the services in the Refugio. In addition to this innovative and ecological process, several solar panels are used with the same purpose. If required, the Refugio has a gas-powered generator.

Also, the Refugio has a sewage treatment plant (bio filter), which is treated with an ingenious and natural method: sewage is filtered through a pool of sawdust and worms that eliminate all residues from the water, purifying it in 90% which helps avoid soil and water pollution. Visitors can be part of this process and visit the installation.

Refugio Los Cuernos

EHydraulic Turbine / Bio filter

Refugio Los Cuernos also has an independent energy system based on two water-powered turbines, fed by the Bader river and one of its waterfalls, where a tube of 50 cm diameter (half a yard) captures the necessary water to generate electric power through two small injectors that turn on the turbine. Like El Chileno Refugio, power is then stored in a battery bank that then transmits power to the Refugio. Its uniqueness lies on power savings – it is an energy storage system and not just a generator.

At the beginning of 2012 we have finished the construction of the second sewage treatment plant of our Refugios, it is 3 times the one built at El Chileno Refugio.

Refugios Torre Central and Torre Norte Have a different energy system. Though it is not a renewable energy system, it is a very efficient one. It is a gas-powered generator that stores power in a bank of batteries.

It features light, energy and fuel savings, since the energy stored in 8 hours is enough to power the Refugio for 24 hours. However, savings are vital and for that reason, appliances like hairdryers and irons are note allowed in the Refugio.