With 2,700 hours of sunshine per year, the Maldives is the perfect place for solar energy. Since there are no electrical cables running between islands, each island has to have its own self-sufficient energy supply. Normally that means diesel generators, which are expensive and polluting. But now the eco-friendly five-star resort, Amilla Maldives Resort and Residences, has received a boost to its sustainability efforts with the installation of new solar panels.
As an EarthCheck Silver certificate holder for the second year running – as well as a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World’s elite ‘Considerate Collection’ (a benchmark of luxury sustainability), Amilla Maldives already met the highest sustainability standards in the hotel industry. But the arrival of the new solar panels will take Amilla’s eco-efforts to the next level.
The solar panels are currently being installed on the rooftops of the resort’s ‘Heart of House’ (staff area). They will go into service in March 2023, and are expected to generate 950,000 kilowatt hours (kwh) per year, equivalent to about 250,000 litres of diesel. This means the resort will dramatically reduce its reliance on diesel and will be even more sustainable than ever.
General Manager of Amilla Maldives Resort and Residences, Jason Kruse, said: “Sustainability is in our DNA. It’s not just something we dip into every now and then, it’s part of our daily lives and in every decision we make.”
“We are all so excited to have the support of SWIMSOL to help us undertake this solar initiative, and we are set to make more announcements about the next steps in our sustainability programme in the near future.”
Amilla currently has no less than 30 sustainability initiatives in motion, including an onsite recycling plant and a coconut oil processing machine. The extensive jungle and abundance of undeveloped spaces has even drawn rare long tailed tropicbirds to nest on the island – a species that normally only nests on uninhabited islands. Amilla Maldives is working closely with conservationists to ensure their protection.
To find out more visit Amilla.com.
