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Tuesday, 1 July 2014 01:57 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
With the vision of being the first purely carbon neutral hotel in Sri Lanka, Jetwing Yala is now the site for the country’s third largest PV installation. Building up on the experience gained by past installations at flagship properties such as Jetwing Blue (20 kW), Jetwing Sea (15 kW) and Jetwing Lagoon (20 kW and 10 kW), the new park covers an area of 1.25 acres – a first in the industry, featuring a record 1122 panels with an output of 300 kW.
Commissioned on 18 March, the grid-tied system features panels made in Germany – one of the foremost manufacturers of PV panels in the world, and inverters from Austria. Designed to operate under the most extreme environmental conditions possible, the panels are subject to a salt spray test and possess certified anodised aluminum frames.
Data collected over the past months of operation show an average generation of 1,500 kWh per day, with approximately 40% of the hotel’s daily electricity demand provided by the PV system. Furthermore, CO2 emissions avoided in the past three months thanks to the system amount to a staggering 53.37 tons – equivalent to the carbon sequestered by little over 1,300 trees.
The first solar installation took place at Jetwing Blue, in 2010 with a 20 kW off-grid roof mounted system that provided energy for 100% of guest room lighting. Jetwing Sea followed suit in 2011, and in 2012 Jetwing Lagoon became the first property to expand the solar PV system to more than just illumination – with a 20 kW off-grid system for guest room lighting, and a 10 kW grid-tied system that supplies energy for the hot water circulation pumps and the biomass boiler’s blower.
“With Jetwing Yala, we aim to achieve what we consider the ultimate future standard – a fully carbon neutral resort. We have long been known for our sustainable practices, but with the opening of the solar park we are now very close to making this vision a reality. No expense has been spared, from the quality of the system to even ensuring its installation; initially, we were considering a roof mounted system, but decided later on to move onto a ground mounted one for purely aesthetic reasons to preserve the concept of Jetwing Yala,” said Jude Kasturi Arachchi, Director of Jetwing.
“The performance of the system is monitored and recorded via a state of the art onsite control station, which includes a professional weather station. The system also allows for (web based) remote monitoring, and as such we receive data in real-time,” he continued.
Jetwing Yala was launched in early 2014, and features 90 rooms set facing massive sand dunes and the Indian Ocean. Only 45 minutes away from the Mattala International Airport, and a short drive from the famed Yala National Park, the resort emphasises luxury and comfort – being the concept and design of famed architect Murad Ismail.
Family-owned and in the tourism industry for the past 41 years, Jetwing Hotels has surpassed expectation at every aspect. Building on their foundation of being passionate, as well as the experience of true, traditional Sri Lankan hospitality, constantly pioneering discoveries captures the essence of the brand. Such a strong statement and direction have enabled Jetwing Hotels to imagine, create and manage marvels and masterpieces, where distinctive design and elegant comfort complement each other and the environment.
Considered a priority, sustainable and responsible practice is implemented through the award winning Jetwing Eternal Earth Program; with energy efficiency, community upliftment, and education of earth saving measures to schoolchildren being a few tenets of the Program.
