Going Solar: South African hotels join the Green Revolution

Roodevalley Faircity is driving more significant changes by switching to solar energy, with the aim being to have at least 30% of the hotel's electrical usage to be harnessed from their new 100m2 solar farm

Roodevalley Faircity is driving more significant changes by switching to solar energy, with the aim being to have at least 30% of the hotel's electrical usage to be harnessed from their new 100m2 solar farm

Published Nov 16, 2018

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Local hotels are reaping the benefits of becoming more cost efficient when it comes to saving on electricity and water. The growing initiative has resulted in multiple efforts that when brought together will reduce costs significantly.

The cornerstone to any good movement is creating awareness; putting up signs encouraging guests to use electricity sparingly by turning off lights and treat the environment with the utmost respect. The global drive to be more environmentally friendly has resulted in guests preferring to visit hotels and businesses that offer such initiatives as they feel that going green is what is required in this day and age.

Hotels utilise up to 50% more energy than residential areas of the same size. This has placed added pressure on the industry to become more energy efficient. The hospitality industry is gaining massive rewards through solar power as it is not only significantly saving on costs, but it has also attracted like-minded guests and customers which has helped to spread awareness throughout the world.

Roodevalley Faircity is driving more significant changes by switching to solar energy, with the aim being to have at least 30% of the hotel's electrical usage to be harnessed from their new 100m2 solar farm. The first step in this initiative has been to order a large-scale lighting audit which has resulted in a switch to LED lighting which has massively reduced electricity usage.

Once fully operational, the solar farm is estimated to save vast amounts of water and on CO2 emissions which in turn saves trees and natural habitats. Roodevalley Faircity is predicting that their farm will up to save 314 240 litres of water per year and reduce 246 160 kg of CO2 emissions. When compared it surmounts to planting more than 230 trees annually.

In the not too distant past changes such as these were not only considered too costly but downright irresponsible as stakeholders did not understand the significance of being environmentally friendly. Today, thanks to significant initiatives and mass awareness campaigns, going green has become financially beneficial and environmentally responsible. Hotels such as Roodevalley Faircity are at the forefront of this revolution in South Africa and will continue to do so long after using renewable energy has become the norm. 

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