Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator, has transformed one of its Maldives resorts into a self-sustaining solar energy generator after the adoption of a rooftop solar panel system that will begin producing electricity this month.
Following the completion of solar panel installation atop the roofs of all of the resort’s main structures, Centara Ras Fushi Resort & Spa Maldives will generate enough power to supply close to 40% of the its energy needs, resulting in an annual energy savings equivalent to 307,000-kilowatt hours (kwh), or about 83,000 liters of diesel fuel.
David Good, Centara’s VP Operations said that the rooftop solar conversion is one of Centara’s most ambitious sustainability projects undertaken at a single property. The benefits to the environment made it a compelling choice, and they will be looking at options for expanding the solar programme to other properties going forward.
Centara’s long-term commitment to sustainable business practices is reflected in a number of initiatives aimed at reducing the company’s environmental impact in the communities where it operates. Its ongoing engagement with EarthCheck, the world’s leading scientific benchmarking, certification and advisory group for travel and tourism, continues to yield consequential improvements in key sustainability metrics. To date, 15 Centara hotels and resorts have achieved EarthCheck certification and another four properties are enrolled in EarthCheck’s Evaluate Plus program, leading to significant reductions in carbon footprints and greenhouse gas emissions across a number of Centara’s certified properties.
Most recently, the company’s leadership in environmental sustainability was recognised for the second consecutive year by the Stock Exchange of Thailand, which awarded Centara Hotels & Resorts (CENTEL) its “Thailand Sustainability Investment 2019 (THSI)” designation, given annually in recognition of listed companies that operate with responsibility across Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) aspects.
