![logo Balcons Goes Green](https://les-balcons.com/wp-content/uploads/logo-balcons-goes-green-lineaire-edited-1024x641.png)
For more than 30 years, the Les Balcons Group has been welcoming its customers in privileged surroundings. Concerned about the impact of our activities on the environment, we have implemented an eco-responsible approach throughout our development.
As a builder, we are lucky to manage the construction and renovation of our establishments from start to finish. Our last two projects were designed with innovative systems to control and reduce energy consumption.
Our aim : to make you enjoy your stay while respecting the natural environment around you as much as possible.
Our commitments and actions are built around 6 pillars:
1 – CONTROLLING AND REDUCING OUR ENERGY CONSUMPTION
![RENEWABLE ENERGIES](https://les-balcons.com/wp-content/uploads/eco-energie.png)
Renewable energies
- 100% of our electricity comes from renewable energy sources (mainly hydropower), supplied by La Compagnie Nationale du Rhône and certified by Enalp
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Lighting & equipment
- 99% of our light bulbs are energy-saving, mostly LED fixtures with bulbs, so we can replace the bulb without changing the fixture.
- Many fixtures are controlled by automatic sensors to limit energy waste.
- All newly acquired electrical appliances are energy-efficient.
- We have introduced regular meter readings to better manage our electricity consumption.
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Reinforced insulation
- 100% of all our building’s windows are double- or triple-glazed.
- We have built our latest chalets (Hôtel Alparena**** & Spa and Les Balcons Platinium Val Cenis*****) with a high-performance insulation system of over 30cm on the walls and roof to retain heat and avoid over-consumption of heating and energy losses.
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Centralised technical management
- Our two latest chalets were built with heating, electricity and ventilation being controlled by a centralised technical management system, enabling energy savings. In each apartment and room, heating and lighting can be controlled by a home automation system (digital box).
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Heating
- We have installed wood-burning stoves in the flats (from 4 or 6 people) and we offer the wood to our guests.
- At the Hôtel Alparena****& Spa, we have installed a wood pellet boiler, a renewable energy source.
- In our other establishments, we plan to replace our oil-fired boilers with wood pellet boilers within the next 5 to 10 years.
In 2023, the electricity and heating consumption of the Hotel Alparena**** & Spa was 140kwH/m2 , compared to the average consumption of 289 kWh/m2 for a 4* hotel. A low consumption which, what’s more, comes from green electricity and pellet heating! |
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Soft mobility
- We provide our customers with charging points for electric vehicles.
- We are a partner of the Tictactrip website, which lists low-carbon solutions for getting to the resort (train, shuttles, car sharing, etc.).
2- LIMIT OUR WATER CONSUMPTION
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Water flow management
- All taps are fitted with mixing valves for fast, precise temperature adjustment. They are fitted with aerators that reduce the flow of water by injecting air into the flow.
- All toilets have a dual-flow flush system to regulate the flow of water.
- We have introduced regular meter readings to better manage our water consumption.
3- REDUCING AND SORTING WASTE
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Reducing packaging and printing
- As far as possible, we take care to reduce our packaging by ordering large-capacity products and reusable or refillable products, such as shower gel dispensers in the bathrooms.
- We have reduced the amount of individual packaging in our restaurants.
- We limit paper printouts and provide our customers with an app to give them all the information they need for their stay.
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Waste sorting
- We provide a number of waste sorting garbage bins in each bedroom and suite and educate our teams and customers about waste recycling.
- Composting of organic waste is currently being studied with the Val Cenis resort and tested in La Rosière resort.
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Second life for furniture
- Our technical department maintains and repairs almost all our equipment. When this is not possible, we donate them to our teams or to someone specialising in furniture renovation.
4- BUY BETTER
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Purchasing ethics
- We have drawn up a sustainable purchasing policy : for each of our purchases, we take into account the location, manufacturing methods and means of transport of the products.
- We mainly use European service providers, and French and local service providers when we can, for both the construction and operation of our buildings.
Product quality
- We take care to select high-quality, durable materials and goods, and avoid plastic as much as possible.
- The hygiene products we make available to our customers are made from 90% natural ingredients, with packaging made from recyclable or recycled materials.
- We select food products made in Savoie.
Optimising deliveries
- We centralise our purchases for our various sites at a single point at head office.
5- CONTRIBUTE TO LOCAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE TERRITORY
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Contributing to local development
- As an accommodation provider that has been established in Savoie for many years, we contribute to the local economy and have set up numerous partnerships with shops, ski schools, sports shops and restaurants.
- We are regular sponsors of local associations and events such as the “C’est l’Printemps festival” in Val Cenis, the Safety Shred days and Bike Club in La Rosière.
- We are a member of the Comité Ski of Savoie.
Promoting local heritage
- We promote visits to discover the local heritage: farms, discovery of local biodiversity, mountaineering photo exhibition in the hotel…
6-PROMOTING A HEALTHY LIVING ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR TEAMS AND CUSTOMERS
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Raising awareness of eco-gestures among our teams and customers
- Our environmental manager has undergone specific training on the challenges of sustainable tourism.
- Our teams are trained in the eco-gestures to be respected in their daily tasks.
- We provide our customers with information on the local flora and fauna, and the eco-gestures to adopt in the mountains.
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Encourage the well-being of our employees
- We provide on site accommodation for our teams and they can enjoy our customers services (shopping discount, return of unsold goods, etc.).
- For the 2023-2024 winter season, over 50% of our group workforce is made up of women, including 9 at the helm of our 10 establishments!
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Protecting biodiversity
- In summer, in some of our establishments, we grow aromatic herbs which we make available to our customers, and we protect birds by providing them with shelters.
- We promote outdoor activities that respect the local flora and fauna.
Green-ious ideas!
Here are a few ideas to make your stay greener:
In your apartment
- Remember to switch off appliances on standby. Appliances on standby or plugged in consume electricity continuously.
- When you can, take the stairs instead of the elevator! They don’t consume any energy!
- To save water and energy, don’t ask for your sheets and linen to be changed during your stay!
- Fill up your dishwashers and washing machines and use eco modes.
- Turn off the lights when you leave a room. 3 75 W bulbs consume as much in one evening as a 60°C washing machine!
- Use the various garbage cans at your disposal to sort out your waste.
- Remember to eat local and in season! Ask our team about cheese, meat and honey producers in the resort.
To get to the resort
- Think of alternatives to the car. Use Tictac Trip to find solutions.(available on www.les-balcons.com.)
On the mountain
- Don’t throw your cigarette butts just anywhere. Pocket ashtrays are available at reception. 1 cigarette butt pollutes 1m3 of snow or 500 liters of water! Up to 7,000 butts are found per day under a single chairlift.
- When skiing, beware of young trees and wildlife: every new track opens the door to an unspoilt area!
- Don’t feed wildlife, as this can lead to behavioral problems and disease.
- Take photos of the flowers, with your eyes or with a camera, and leave the flora in its environment.
- Keep or recycle your ski pass! Rechargeable ski pass cards are now the norm in the resort, providing an economical and environmentally-friendly way of reusing your card for each day’s skiing, which you can collect from reception. Keep your card safe from one season to the next, or hand it in at reception at the end of your stay.
Don’t hesitate to share your best practices with us at marketing@les-balcons.com