tropic house Ruswil (Tropenhaus Ruswil)

Best Practice

Topics

• Regional value added
• New forms of decision-making

Short description

Not a real alpine project but a good practice example of how an problem (waste heat emissions) were turned into a sustainable business and regional development opportunity. In the tropical greenhouse Ruswil waste heat generated by a natural gas densification plant is being used since 1999 to produce tropical fruit and fish in a poly-culture system. The greenhouse attracts today up to 12 000 visitors per year and generates income for the local farmers, the tourism sector, restaurants and shops. The project development was carried out by a professionally facilitated stakeholder platform (see: www.tropenhaus.ch).

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Project executive

Association Tropenhaus Wolhusen/Ruswil with ca. 60 members (municipalities, farmers, retailers, hotels, restaurants, artists, craftsmen, consultants, etc.)

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Participants

- Association Tropenhaus Wolhusen/Ruswil legal entity of the project, resonsible for project information and communication. Operation of pilot project. - Planning team (planners, engineers, farmers, medical doctor, economist): Project development. - Tropenhaus SA (will bis established next year): Project execution

Objectives

The energy legislation of the Canton of Lucerne (Switzerland) requires the utilization of industrial generated waste heat. The “Tropical Greenhouse Project Ruswil” was launched to evaluate options to use waste heat for agricultural production. Today a 1500 m2 greenhouse is under operation as pilot project. The pilot proves to be ecologically sound and economically viable. Within the next years the greenhouse area will be expanded to ca. 20 000 – 30 000 m2. - Utilization of waste heat for generation of regional value added - Sustainable production of tropical products - Sustainable tourism in central Switzerland - Model for innovative project development

Activities

- Production of tropical fruit, spices, fish, etc. - Tours guiding - Research and development - In future: operation of a tropical garden, a restaurant, a bar, a shop, seminar and cultural facilities

Process

The project was launched by the "Interest Group Waste heat utilization Ruswil". Finances by national, cantonal municipal and private funds and supported by professional project managers and universities a pilot project (Tropenhuus Ruswil) was developed and implemented. The local stakeholders were strongly involved in this process. The pilot project has been successfully operated since 1999. The "Tropenhuus" attracts today to more than 10 000 visitors per yeas. In 2004 the "Interest Group Waste heat utilization Ruswil" merged with the "Association Tropenhaus Wolhusen" in order to jointly develop and expand the project and to prepare the implementation of a new and bigger Tropenhaus in Wolhusen.

Results

Tropical indoor polyculture systems as implemented in the Tropenhaus project are a promising and ecological and economical sound option to use waste energy wherever this resource is available in larger quantities (and there the waste energy can not be used for direct heating of houses). Organic production of high quality products is technically and economically feasible. The project create several part-time jobs and generates income for farmers, restaurants, bio-retailers, etc. Today the “exotic” project is regionally accepted and nationally to internationally known.

Evaluation

The project development has been evaluated as an integral part of each national funded Regio-Plus project.

Difficulties

There was very little knowledge available about tropical indoor polyculture systems. It was challenging for the project team to develop a working and economically viable Tropenhaus system within 5 years. The project management developed an active "error/failure culture” to motivate the project team to try out new and innovative ideas and to accelerate project development and learning.

Budget

ca. € 22 000 per year (for pilot) (Euro)

Source of information

Competition

Participant at the 2005 Future in the Alps competition

Homepage

http://www.tropenhaus.ch

Publication

• Heeb, J. (2001): Bananen und Papayas aus dem Tropenhuus Ruswil. In: Heimatkunde des Wiggertals, Band 59, Willisau, 43-53 p. • Heeb, J. (1999): Projekt „Abwärmenutzung Gasverdichtung Ruswil“. In GWA 5/99, 193-197 p.

Contact person as above

Comments

Impact on nature and environment

The project contributes to a reduction of CO2-emissions caused by the import of tropical product. The biological production guarantees for e emission free system operation.

Economic value added

The project creates several part-time jobs and generates income for farmers, restaurants, bio-retailers, etc. The investment costs for the pilot project was ca. € 2 Mio – a big share of this money was spent locally. Further economic impacts can not be quantified. But assuming that the 12 000 visitors (state 2005) spent in average 10 Swiss Francs in the region even the pilot projects generates already more then 100 000 Swiss Francs additional income for the local economy. The new Tropenhaus will attract up to 50 000 visitors per year and generate € 1.5 Mio. turnover per year. It will generate 12 fulltime jobs (ore up to 36 part time jobs)

Socio-cultural value added

The project has a positive impact on the image of the region. The Tropenhaus is considered to be a model for innovation and sustainability.

Innovative content

The Tropenhaus project is the first tropical indor production polyculture system worlwhide.

Good governance

The project execution was don in close co-operation with local stakeholders. This created a strong regional support from the very beginning of the project.

PR impact

The project was and is still strongly supported by the local and national press. The admittingness is of course a key success factor for the project.

Multiplier effect / networking

The project experience was mainly distributes by scientific or technical articles as well as by the press. Today there are several projects making use of the Tropenhaus know-how (e.g. Tropehaus Fruttigen).

Transferability

The project is transferable to all places where big amounts of waste or geothermal heat are available.

Remarks

No remarks

Further information