Sustainable travel has never looked so stylish thanks to this innovative breakthrough at LUX* South Ari Atoll in the Maldives
Go green in the azure waters of the Maldives. The world’s largest solar system floating at sea has been installed at LUX* South Ari Atoll, powering the island in an eco-friendly fashion.
Made using unique technology called SolarSea, the new system gathers solar energy directly on the ocean to power all guest villas.
As part of the resort’s commitment to sustainability, LUX* South Ari Atoll has pledged to minimise carbon dioxide emissions. To help achieve this goal, the five-star luxury resort partnered with the leading solar provider Swimsol, an Austrian-Maldivian company, which provided a solution to overcome the limited space available for solar panels on small tropical islands.
Consequently, Swimsol developed the first and only patented floating solar system that is designed to withstand the harsh conditions of the waves, storms and saltwater – resulting in cleaner energy with added eco-friendly benefits.
For Jonas Amstad, General Manager at LUX* South Ari Atoll, it’s an incredibly important new launch. “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.”
He told us: “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.”
The resort is already using a rooftop system with the same solar company. Once all suitable roofs were covered with solar panels, the resort decided to expand beyond the shoreline with twelve SolarSea platforms.
Thereby the solar capacity increased by 40% and reached 678 kWp, enough to power all guest villas with solar energy during the peak sun hours.
As well as guests, the ocean benefits as well. The platforms provide shelter for juvenile fish and invertebrates, acting like fish-aggregating devices.
To avoid any negative effects, the platforms also float above the sandy seabed, avoiding the coral reefs. Free-swimming coral larvae can even use the platforms to grow into adult colonies, which can then be replanted on the ocean floor.
Following in the steps of its parent company, The Lux Collective, of which the purpose is to make each moment matter and to care about what matters, LUX* South Ari Atoll is committed to contributing in any way, big or small, to make eco-tourism a success in the Maldives.
