The highest heating system in Germany

At almost 9,850 feet (3,000 meters), the Zugspitze is Germany's highest mountain. Every year, thousands of visitors enjoy the magnificent views from the panorama room at the summit station. Those who want to stroll through the Zugspitze exhibition with films, photos, and curious exhibits will also find plenty to see and marvel at. What remains hidden from visitors, however, is that the Zugspitze superlative also applies to heating technology: this summit among summits is home to the highest heating plant in Germany.

Two Weishaupt WL40 oil burners, each with a firing capacity of 785,000 BTU/hr (230 kilowatts), are in service at the Zugspitze. Thanks to their fully electronic control system, the heat generators can be precisely adjusted on the air side and therefore work just as reliably and comfortably on some days high above the clouds.

Heating specialists know how important precise adjustment is here in particular: At an altitude of 9,850 feet (3000 meters), the output of a burner is reduced by up to 30 percent due to the “thin” air. This fact must be taken into account when selecting a burner and requires special attention during commissioning – no problem for the Weishaupt branch in Munich and heating engineer Anton Anzenberger from Garmisch-Partenkirchen.