A little more than a year after the installation of solar panels across the holiday resort, Sun City, in the North West, has saved more than R8.3-million in electricity costs.

Sun City’s R17-million solar plant installation, designed to reduce electricity consumption from the national grid, has generated over 5.8-million kilowatt-hours of clean energy since completing the latest solar panel installations in August 2024.

Following the phase 1 and 2 installation at Sun Central in 2023, which saw all the available space on the roof covered with PV panels, Phase 3 extended the initiative to the roofs of The Palace of the Lost City and Sun City Hotel, and was completed in August 2024.

The holiday resort has 3 984 solar panels installed, with total estimated energy savings off the national grid of 2.24 MW.

Sun Central has 2 793 solar panels, with estimated energy savings of 1.56 MW, while The Palace has 585 panels and the Sun City Hotel has 606 panels. Collectively, The Palace and Sun City Hotel’s estimated energy savings off the national grid is 0.68 MW.

The resort’s environmental impact includes a 5 286 t reduction in yearly CO₂ emissions and a 5% a year reduction in Sun City’s electricity demand from State-owned power utility Eskom.

"Our sustainability promise is based on people, planet and profits, in that order. Solar is beneficial to our broader community, as the less power we draw from the grid the more is available to others. It works for our guests – especially those travelling from overseas – as they want to know that they are not increasing their own environmental footprint when they stay at Sun City, and it works for our own bottom line,” said Sun City GM Brett Hoppé.

Sun City continues to explore opportunities to expand the solar coverage to other resort facilities and integrating battery storage solutions to enhance energy resilience and reduce peak demand.

Further, the future may include feeding the energy back into the national grid. Discussions with relevant stakeholders are ongoing to ensure regulatory alignment and infrastructure readiness.

“Sun City is one of the few resorts of its kind in South Africa certified under ISO14001:2015 and is committed to aligning with global best practices for environmental leadership,” Hoppé continued.

ISO 14001 sets the international standard for an Environmental Management System to enhance the resort's ability to manage its environmental impact efficiently, leading to reduced waste, energy consumption and pollution.

“As the largest unit within the Sun International group, Sun City’s certification and strong environmental performance play a pivotal role in elevating the group’s overall sustainability profile which aligns its operations with sustainable practices, ensuring long-term ecological, economic, and social benefits.”

Sun City Resort operates across a dynamic environmental scope, integrating key sustainability pillars such as waste management, energy efficiency, water conservation and biodiversity protection.

Balancing these environmental responsibilities with the demands of a hospitality operation requires innovation, strategic planning, and continuous improvement, he concluded.