The new face of camping cannot ignore design, sustainability, and energy efficiency. These are the themes touched upon during the conference organized by Crippaconcept at SIA Hospitality Design, which brought to the stage the experiences made by the company together with the University of Pavia in terms of research and ergonomic and eco-sustainable design, then delving into the theme of energy independence of mobile homes. Also interesting is the testimony of Margherita Facchini, owner of the San Francesco Camping Village in Desenzano del Garda, which was hit by a very violent hailstorm, heavily damaging 200 of the 202 mobile homes present in the structure.
Margherita Capotorto, PhD student, Doctor in construction engineering and architecture, spoke about the work carried out with the University of Pavia, explaining what the cornerstones of having a hashtag like #sustainabledesign are. In essence, sustainability must be pursued not only with the adoption of technological means, but as an adequate approach right from the design phases. Here morphological and landscape research is carried out, during which the place is thoroughly analyzed to understand its constraints and potential.
In the applied research phase, we then move on to an in-depth analysis of the vegetation present on site and an evaluation of the climate – including temperature, humidity, and winds – in order to develop a project aligned with the needs of the context, both for the choice of positioning and for the materials to use.
Finally, to develop a completely sustainable project, we must also look at the internal design of the industrial product. Together with the AUDe of the University of Pavia, an integrated research laboratory of the Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture that deals with architectural and urban design, research was conducted on the minimum acceptable dimensions for a mobile home. The research was developed in plan and elevation by evaluating how the body moves in space, studying its size and needs. Everything was then compared with Crippaconcept production, analyzing the best-selling products, to propose a series of improvements.
Measuring sustainability
From design we have moved on to actual sustainability, which however only makes sense if it can be measured. For this reason, in the absence of regulatory references, Crippaconcept has developed a system to arrive at a self-assessment of the environmental impact of a mobile home. “There were no reference documents in the sector,” explained Sergio Redaelli, the company’s CEO. “We started in 2019, but there is still a lot to do. We started by describing the product and its features, which was useful on both a technical and political level. In the same year we organized a workshop with the university and our collaboration started from there“.
In recent years, two mobile home studies have been developed: Wonderland and Wonderland 2.0, in which the most innovative materials available were used. That experience made it possible to compare the percentage share of natural materials used in construction, the share of recycled materials and also the recyclable ones. Between the first version and the second the values went from 59 to 92% (natural), from 14 to 43% (recycled), and from 69 to 99% (recyclable) respectively.
For the products currently marketed it is thus possible to create a voluntary declaration of environmental sustainability, in which the product is described in detail, and which also indicates how it can be moved and recycled, including indications on the energy performance of the elements. “The main problem is that not having a product recognized either at a national or European level, obtaining certifications is not easy,” underlined Redaelli. “But this is a first step”.
The ROI on photovoltaic
Cristiano Bozzetti, marketing manager of Crippaconcept, had the task of addressing the issues of energy independence and sustainability, ideals which are harmonious at first sight but which present points of friction when applied to mobile homes. Crippaconcept’s analysis focused on evaluating the relationship between cost and benefitwhen it comes to photovoltaic systems, knowing that, ideally, we could achieve energy independence of each housing unit. As we will see, this is not (yet) the most convenient solution.
By taking advantage of the roof of a mobile home, which can accommodate up to 9 photovoltaic modules for a power of between 3 and 4 kW, an average of 40 kW per day is produced in summer. This production can be combined with a storage capacity of approximately 10 kW. Speaking of consumption, three profiles were identified: the basic one (10 kW/h per day), the standard one (which also includes the use of air conditioning: 20 kW/h per day) and the one defined as “full electric“, where the unit is also equipped with a kitchen. Induction and electric boiler (30 kW/h per day). Theoretically, therefore, it is possible to cover the entire energy requirement.
To equip a mobile home to make it completely autonomous, i.e. “off grid”, Crippaconcept has estimated a cost of photovoltaic modules of €1,800 per kW and a battery pack of around €1,000 per kW, for a total cost of around €15,000. This investment could return (ROI) in 10/15 years. With a solution of this kind, however, it is necessary to also provide for the presence of a technical compartment to contain accumulators and inverters, subtracting living volume from the structure.
But what happens on a day without sun? What to do with the excess energy produced? How to use it when the structure is closed? The answer to these questions comes from the use of mobile homes which, in addition to exploiting photovoltaics, are also connected to the grid. Here, in addition to the panels, just add a bidirectional counter. By avoiding batteries, the investment drops to around €6,000 and the investment returns in 5 years. This solution therefore offers the best cost-benefit ratio today. The photovoltaic system has a duration of 25 years, compared to the 10-year average life of the mobile home, and excess energy can be exchanged on site with the operator.
Climate change: managing the emergency
Environment does not only mean sustainability, but also comparison with nature and climate change. Margherita Facchini, owner of the San Francesco Camping Village in Desenzano del Garda, witnessed this. “On July 24th around 11pm we were hit by a hailstorm never seen before and devastating, both from an emotional point of view and for fear, with hailstones the size of oranges,” she said. “We had several injured people to help, although fortunately no victims, and then the problem was organizing the emergency. We had 1,800 guests with cars and caravans destroyed, many frightened people. After the first aid, a civil protection team arrived, and we immediately included it in the formation of the first aid teams with the main objective of reassuring our guests.”
A shocking experience on the one hand and educational on the other. They had to deal with the situation until 5am, also taking care of the guests in the tent. At 7am, the Crippaconcept technicians were already on site to organize the repairs. The greatest damage was recorded on dormer windows and walls, while the roofs of the mobile homes held up well. The guests were therefore able to continue their holiday and to remedy the aesthetic damage, a sort of wrapping was created, very aesthetically pleasing, which restored the external appearance of the mobile home, with minimal disturbance to the occupants.
From these moments, experiences are formed, which teach how to deal with emergencies and how to better design and build housing structures. For a new face of tomorrow’s campsites.
