‘Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town maximises rooftop space with hybrid PVT project’

Radisson Cape Town Foreshore

Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Foreshore, together with Solarus, installed Cape Town CBD’s first large-scale commercial hybrid Photovoltaic and Thermal (PVT) project. The installation was completed in mid-March and fully operational. It is located on the hotel’s rooftop and produces an average of 1050kWh of energy per week.

The installation consists of 30 innovative PowerCollectors, a unique technology which combines generation of thermal (T) energy with the photovoltaic (PV) generation of electricity and produces one of the highest energy yields ever measured. When compared to traditional solar panels, the PowerCollector produces both electricity and hot water output up to 70°C and delivers three times more energy on the same surface area.
In addition to the renewable energy produced on the roof of the hotel, the installation also saves 79,000 litres of water per year by reducing energy used from the grid. This is because for every kWh electricity bought from the South African power utility company Eskom uses 1.45 litres of water to produce. This is significant since water saving is a fundamental factor to any resident or business located in Cape Town, due to the city’s current water crisis.

The energy produced in conjunction with the reduced demand from the grid will provide electricity and heat throughout the hotel. Over a 20-year period, this installation will save the hotel approximately €250,000.

“In the hospitality industry, there is a high heat demand and energy cost, it was with this in mind, and our unwavering responsible business mindset that installing the 30 PowerCollectors, maximising our small rooftop made absolute sense. With the location of our hotel, our rooftop is also the perfect location to absorb as much sun as possible and generate three times more energy,” said Jim Schleich, general manager of Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Foreshore.

Inge Huijbrechts, global vice president, responsible business, Radisson Hotel Group said: “As a responsible business leader, we aim to align with the global targets of the COP21 Paris Climate Agreement and significantly reduce our hotels’ carbon footprint. As part of our Think Planet pillar in our responsible business strategy, one of the areas we are focusing on is increasing the number of Radisson Group hotels making use of renewable energy.”