Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator, has transformed one of its Maldivian resort, Centara Ras Fushi Resort & Spa 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 litres of diesel fuel.
“The rooftop solar conversion is one of Centara’s most ambitious sustainability projects undertaken at a single property,” said David Good, Centara’s VP Operations. “The benefits to the environment made it a compelling choice, and we will be looking at options for expanding the solar program 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 recognized 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.
