Hotel magnate launches solar farm for his hotels
Hotel owner Jerry Schwartz is bringing a massive renewable energy source to NSW’s Hunter Valley with a new $8.5 million solar farm.
The 5.000 MW capacity solar farm comprises 13,350 panels on property that he owns adjacent to the Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley in Lovedale.
When solar farm becomes operational at the end of November, the renewable energy source will deliver a C02 reduction of approximately 7,811,000 kg per annum – equivalent to removing over 4300 vehicles annually from the road.
The solar farm has 13,350 solar panels installed which will start to generate power at the end of November and effectively make the Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley, Hunter Valley Conference & Events Centre and Sydney Brewery 100 per cent renewable, with excess power initially sold back to the grid before eventually contributing to the power needs of Schwartz’s other hotels across the State.
Schwartz said environmental and sustainability best-practice needed to be at the heart of all hotels’ operations.
“It is particularly important to showcase renewable energy in the heart of a region still known for its coal mining,” he said.
“Tourism is the sustainable industry of the future for the Hunter Valley, and to make the hotel, convention centre and brewery 100% renewable is an important initiative.
“The opening of the Hunter Valley Conference & Events Centre in 2015 means that at times we have over 1000 people across the venue, so the installation of the solar panels across the property and the building of the new solar farm was an ideal solution to meeting our energy needs while minimising our environmental impact.”
Sheridan Randall, 24th October 2019
