Of all the eco-credentials for tourism businesses to claim, energy efficiency may be the easiest to self-award. After all, how many guests detour from their holiday to check if the lightbulbs are energy-saving, if kitchen appliance ratings meet the gold standard or to question how it is that the pool water temperature is always just right?
While energy efficiency likely isn’t the most thrilling element of a safari, it’s easily one of the more important and certainly one of our fundamental principles, particularly in South Africa where the coal-fired grid is unreliable and harmful to our environment.
On opening in 2019 we had our sights set on elevating the luxury safari experience without compromising the environment. Renewable energy, used efficiently, was one of the core elements of our environment-first approach.
Energy efficient from the ground up
It made sense in the early design stages to look at energy efficiency – and with it, the generation of clean, renewable power using natural resources. We were determined to find a solution to the unstable grid that benefited our guests and the environment. It was an easy decision to be self-sufficient and avoid the alternative of installing many noisy, polluting diesel generators as back up. So, we went about creating a solar installation in the heart of the Sabi Sand Nature Reserve that has pioneered the benchmark for lodges on the African continent.
Cheetah Plains sits in a carbon negative scenario. The offsets, largely from conversion to solar combined with the relatively small number of beds plays a significant role in creating our positive position.
Our system generates an average of 550MWh annually and feeds this into a massive 1MWh lithium iron storage system. When we installed it, it was the largest storage system of its kind in South Africa.
This means all guest accommodation and activities operate entirely off-the-grid. It saves around R1 million, or $55,000, per year that we’d otherwise have spent buying coal-fired power – but importantly, it also offsets 530 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.
The first thing most guests notice
Given the scale of our solar operation, it’s hardly surprising that it is often the first energy- related aspect that guests notice on arrival – most likely when you board our silent custom- built electric Land Cruisers.
Like most sound decisions, the benefits are both good for the environment and enhance the guest experience by offering an unrivalled wildlife safari with comforts and conveniences like heated and cooled seats and individual USB chargers.
Perhaps more impressive is that we generate and store enough solar power to charge these hulking vehicles with clean energy between game drives. We do this with enough panels to cover around seven tennis courts and three high-tech dual-axis PV solar trackers that move throughout the day to maximise their input.
It doesn’t end there, though
Although all guest experiences are off-the-grid and we aren’t shy about powering modern comforts and conveniences, from the heated toilet seats and remote controlled blinds to our famous wine galleries, we run an incredibly energy-efficient setup.
All window glazing at Cheetah Plains is solar-rated glass to minimise heat gain during the hot Lowveld summer months. This pairs nicely with state-of-the-art climate control in all guest areas, which also runs off our renewable energy installations.
Still, we know many guests prefer a naturally cooled environment while in the bush, which, like our architecture, helps immerse you in the natural surroundings. And so we have provided for this with stunning floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors and electric fans to increase natural airflow should you wish.
Of course, we use only energy-efficient lightbulbs throughout our property, and all kitchen equipment has an Energy Efficiency Rating of A. Still, where possible, our in-villa chefs will cook on gas.
When it comes to slipping into our inviting pools, you may wonder why it’s not piping hot or freezing cold. That’s because we have installed advanced heat exchanges to heat pool water to a comfortable level a few degrees above the ambient temperature.
The list goes on and although most guests visit Cheetah Plains for the unrivalled, luxurious and private accommodation, coupled with superb game viewing, a part of the joy of any visit is looking out for the unexpected but incredibly important sustainable touches throughout your stay.
So when you find yourself reliant on power, it’s good to know that you’re drawing from the grid but on the efficient South African sun that you’ll likely raise a drink to on most evenings.
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