LUX* South Ari has debuted the world’s largest floating solar power system on the sea by means of a unique technology called SolarSea.
The luxury property has pledged to minimise CO2 emissions and partnered with Maldivian-Austrian company, Swimsol, to deliver on their promise.
Swimsol’s floating solar panels have a sci-fi feel and they address the issue of space on small tropical islands.
“We wanted to bring solar energy to places where there is no space on land for the panels. So, we put them on the seawater,” says a quote by Martin Putschek, managing director of Swimsol on the company’swebsite.
Meanwhile, LUX* South Ari’s solar capacity increased by 40 per cent with this addition, and now produces 678kW, sufficient to power all guest villas during peak sun hours. And the resort will now save over 260,000 litres of diesel a year.
“Innovation is key to achieving true sustainability, and we are happy to partner with Swimsol to work towards our goal of minimizing our ecological footprint. As one of the biggest resort islands in the Maldives, we aim to lead the way with eco-tourism and marine conservation work in our region as part of our commitment to good governance, social responsibility and respect for environmental standards”, said Jonas Amstad, the resort’s GM.
LUX* South Ari already has solar PV panels on their roofs and with its SolarSea platform, the resort has one of the country’s largest solar power installations.