Engineering, procurement and construction company 1Energy has been awarded a contract to design and install an energy system at a luxury lodge in Botswana.
The hybrid energy system at the Xigera Safari Lodge will comprise a 400 kW solar photovoltaic plant, which will be supported by Tesla Powerpacks with a power capacity of 285 kW and a total available storage capacity of 1.14 MWh.
1Energy is one of the few registered Tesla installers on the continent and specialises in off-grid solar.
The company said in a release on Monday that luxury lodges across Africa were turning to the sun to meet their energy needs, in a bid to embrace sustainable practices.
“The Xigera Energy Centre is a hybrid solar system as it features a diesel backup. It produces 100% of the energy requirements for any operation that would necessitate the solar system to be so oversized that it become unsustainable.
“The Xigera system is therefore backed up by 350 kVA Volvo diesel generators,” said 1Energy director Andy Heathcoat-Marks.
The generators would run only in the event of extended poor weather conditions.
The lodge operates in a beautiful, environmentally sensitive area, making the use of solar-generated power imperative as it means less diesel will be transported through the area.
To date, lodges using solar power have reported an increase in wildlife within close vicinity of the camps, allowing for a better guest experience.
Xigera Safari Lodge is part of The Red Carnation Hotel Collection with Bushman’s Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Wellness Retreat, The Twelve Apostles and Spa, and The Oyster Box.