Just over a year after installation, holiday resort Sun City’s R17-million solar plant project, designed to reduce consumption of grid-supplied electricity, has delivered significant benefits and energy savings.

The solar panels, installed on the roofs of several buildings, have saved Sun City, in the North West, more than R8.3-million in electricity costs, and generated more than 5.8- million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean energy since the completion of the latest solar panel installations last year.

Following the phase 1 and 2 installations at Sun Central in 2023, which saw all the available roof space covered with photovoltaic 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.

In total, the holiday resort now has 3 984 solar panels installed, .

Sun Central has 2 793 solar panels installed on its roof, with estimated energy savings of 1.56 MW, while The Palace and Sun City Hotel have 585 panels and 606 panels respectively. Between them, The Palace and Sun City Hotel have delivered estimated energy savings of 0.68 MW from the national grid.

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

“Our sustainability promise is based on people, the planet and profits – in that order. Solar is beneficial to our broader community, as the less power we draw from the grid, the more power 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,” says Sun City GM Brett Hoppé.

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

Sun City’s future plans potentially 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 ISO 14001:2015, and is committed to aligning with global best practices for environmental leadership,” Hoppé says.

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.