Thursday 19/2/2009 Page: 2
THE largest solar energy system ever mounted on a building in the southern hemisphere has been switched on in the Red Centre. The rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) installation is expected to generate 40 and 80% of the energy requirements of the Crowne Plaza hotel in Alice Springs. Speaking from the desert town yesterday, hotel general manager Adain Glass said the system would help the Crowne Plaza reduce its annual carbon footprint by 420 tonnes of carbon dioxide.The solar energy system would generate enough electricity to serve 60 family homes. "The water and energy savings that will result from our plans are staggering," said Mr Glass. "We are located in one of the hottest parts of the country.
"This means on one hand that we are a large consumer of energy. but on the other, we have access to a ready renewable resource to significantly offset that consumption." More than 1000 panels cover almost every northern-facing surface of the building and Lloyd Berger. from hotel owner Investnorth, said it "set the green benchmark" for Australia's business sector and hotel industry.
The solar system is accompanied by a $50,000 in-house energy efficiency program, including a system that regulates the temperature of rooms. Data from the $3.3 million solar panels will also be fed into an in-house television channel, allowing guests to see how much energy the hotel is saving at any given time.
0 comments:
Post a Comment