Strapped with both water and energy crises, several island nations are investing in solar-powered water plants to attain more resilient water and power sources, according to executives of a major international resort chain.
One of the latest examples is the CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa’s new installation in Anguilla, an island in the British West Indies east of Puerto Rico. The innovative solar generation system powers the resort’s reverse-osmosis water plant, and it is seen as a model for similarly situated Caribbean islands and hospitality operators.
Working with GE and Inovateus Solar, a South Bend, Ind.-based photovoltaic system developer, CuisinArt, installed its own 1.0-MW solar power generation plant with a battery backup system to store energy. In this way, says Rory Purcell, the resort’s chief engineer, the off-grid plant will provide an uninterruptible energy supply for the reverse-osmosis (RO) water treatment system.
The RO plant filters and desalinates supply water, creating potable “solar water” to the residents on the island, guests of the resort and irrigation water for the golf course, says Purcell.
The project—designed and constructed by CuisinArt and Inovateus with the contractors SwitchLogix and PDE Total Energy Solutions—has been designed in such a way that it is completely isolated from the grid. It also has the unique benefit of being able to reconnect partial loads, in a discretionary way, to continue to desalinate outside solar production hours. For those hours when the sun is down, it depends on the local utility, Anguilla Electricity Company Ltd.
Anguilla recently joined the group Carbon War Room’s Ten-Island Challenge to reduce the Caribbean’s carbon footprint, and the CuisinArt plant is the first major foray into renewables for the island. The new solar plant saves 1.2 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually, says Inovateus executive Peter Rienks. “The payback on this project will immediately save CuisinArt hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. Even more important, it provides a solution to the global water crisis,” he explains. “This system could be duplicated on any island in any country around the world.”
According to CuisinArt’s Purcell, the initiative is both viable and secure. “It is a proven strategy to penetrate the national demand with renewable energy far in excess of the usual grid-tied limits,” he says. PV is a low “environmental impact source, designed to withstand Category 5 hurricanes, low-flying objects and poorly directed golf balls,” he chuckles. “It has low maintenance requirements with a life expectancy in excess of 25 years.”
The new solar array supports the plant’s daily capacity of 1.25 million gallons of fresh water, which serves the 130-key resort and its Greg Norman Signature Golf Course, as well as the new 80-key Reef Hotel, an associated spa and six full-service restaurants. CuisinArt also operates hydroponic and organic farms, a 500,000-square-foot residential estate, and -- of course -- an extensive irrigation system.
“CuisinArt has set a sustainable precedent for photovoltaic water purification throughout the world,” says Peter Foss an executive with GE. “Not only will the project have a great return on investment, it will also help reduce the island’s dependence on fossil fuels and help create a cleaner environment for generations to come.”
Related Stories
Green | Feb 10, 2017
Radical proposal would transform Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive and create new lakefront park space
Over 70 new acres of public space would be created between Ohio Street and North Avenue.
Green | Feb 6, 2017
A to Z: Seoul’s elevated park features 24,000 alphabetized plants
The plants will represent 250 species found in South Korea.
Green | Feb 3, 2017
Nanjing Green Towers will be Asia’s first vertical forest
The project will be covered in 1,100 trees and 2,500 cascading plants and shrubs.
Sustainability | Jan 27, 2017
An office building proposed for Norway would generate more power than it uses
Over it’s 60-year lifespan, the power generated form the project would cover the energy cost of construction, production, and material transportation.
Sustainability | Jan 24, 2017
From an industrial park to an eco-neighborhood in Brussels, Belgium
At the heart of Vincent Callebaut Architectures’ eco-neighborhood will be three 100-meter-tall Vertical Forests.
Sustainability | Jan 19, 2017
How NYC is slashing 80% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050
To help one of the most complex cities in the world develop an actionable strategy to meet visionary GHG reduction goals, we focused on strategies for deep carbon reductions for the city’s entire building stock, which constitutes 73% of citywide emissions, writes HDR's Jennifer Bienemann.
Game Changers | Jan 18, 2017
Turning friction into power
Research on piezoelectricity moves closer to practical applications for infrastructure and buildings.
Green | Jan 17, 2017
Everything you need to know to sound brilliant when talking about biophilia
We need nature in our everyday lives – which is why it’s so important to bring nature into the built environment.
Green | Dec 22, 2016
New tool makes it easier to share building energy efficiency information
The tool standardizes data collection from efficiency projects.
Sustainability | Dec 14, 2016
A floating, mobile gym powered by human energy envisioned for the Seine River
Energy created by those exercising within would power the gym down the Seine.
