Strapped with both water and energy crises, several island nations are investing in solar-powered water plants to attain more resilient water and power sources, according to executives of a major international resort chain.
One of the latest examples is the CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa’s new installation in Anguilla, an island in the British West Indies east of Puerto Rico. The innovative solar generation system powers the resort’s reverse-osmosis water plant, and it is seen as a model for similarly situated Caribbean islands and hospitality operators.
Working with GE and Inovateus Solar, a South Bend, Ind.-based photovoltaic system developer, CuisinArt, installed its own 1.0-MW solar power generation plant with a battery backup system to store energy. In this way, says Rory Purcell, the resort’s chief engineer, the off-grid plant will provide an uninterruptible energy supply for the reverse-osmosis (RO) water treatment system.
The RO plant filters and desalinates supply water, creating potable “solar water” to the residents on the island, guests of the resort and irrigation water for the golf course, says Purcell.
The project—designed and constructed by CuisinArt and Inovateus with the contractors SwitchLogix and PDE Total Energy Solutions—has been designed in such a way that it is completely isolated from the grid. It also has the unique benefit of being able to reconnect partial loads, in a discretionary way, to continue to desalinate outside solar production hours. For those hours when the sun is down, it depends on the local utility, Anguilla Electricity Company Ltd.
Anguilla recently joined the group Carbon War Room’s Ten-Island Challenge to reduce the Caribbean’s carbon footprint, and the CuisinArt plant is the first major foray into renewables for the island. The new solar plant saves 1.2 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually, says Inovateus executive Peter Rienks. “The payback on this project will immediately save CuisinArt hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. Even more important, it provides a solution to the global water crisis,” he explains. “This system could be duplicated on any island in any country around the world.”
According to CuisinArt’s Purcell, the initiative is both viable and secure. “It is a proven strategy to penetrate the national demand with renewable energy far in excess of the usual grid-tied limits,” he says. PV is a low “environmental impact source, designed to withstand Category 5 hurricanes, low-flying objects and poorly directed golf balls,” he chuckles. “It has low maintenance requirements with a life expectancy in excess of 25 years.”
The new solar array supports the plant’s daily capacity of 1.25 million gallons of fresh water, which serves the 130-key resort and its Greg Norman Signature Golf Course, as well as the new 80-key Reef Hotel, an associated spa and six full-service restaurants. CuisinArt also operates hydroponic and organic farms, a 500,000-square-foot residential estate, and -- of course -- an extensive irrigation system.
“CuisinArt has set a sustainable precedent for photovoltaic water purification throughout the world,” says Peter Foss an executive with GE. “Not only will the project have a great return on investment, it will also help reduce the island’s dependence on fossil fuels and help create a cleaner environment for generations to come.”
Related Stories
| Dec 10, 2011
10 Great Solutions
The editors of Building Design+Construction present 10 “Great Solutions” that highlight innovative technology and products that can be used to address some of the many problems Building Teams face in their day-to-day work. Readers are encouraged to submit entries for Great Solutions; if we use yours, you’ll receive a $25 gift certificate. Look for more Great Solutions in 2012 at: www.bdcnetwork.com/greatsolutions/2012.
| Dec 8, 2011
Keast & Hood Co. part of Statue of Liberty renovation team
Keast & Hood Co., is the structural engineer-of-record for the year-long $27.25 million renovation of the Statue of Liberty.
| Dec 7, 2011
ICS Builders and BKSK Architects complete St. Hilda’s House in Manhattan
The facility's design highlights the inherent link between environmental consciousness and religious reverence.
| Dec 5, 2011
New York and San Francisco receive World Green Building Council's Government Leadership Awards
USGBC commends two U.S. cities for their innovation in green building leadership.
| Dec 5, 2011
Fraser Brown MacKenna wins Green Gown Award
Working closely with staff at Queen Mary University of London, MEP Engineers Mott MacDonald, Cost Consultants Burnley Wilson Fish and main contractor Charter Construction, we developed a three-fold solution for the sustainable retrofit of the building.
| Dec 2, 2011
What are you waiting for? BD+C's 2012 40 Under 40 nominations are due Friday, Jan. 20
Nominate a colleague, peer, or even yourself. Applications available here.
| Dec 1, 2011
VLK Architects’ office receives LEED certification
The West 7th development, which houses the firm’s office, was designed to be LEED for Core & Shell, which gave VLK the head start on finishing out the area for LEED Silver Certification CI.
| Nov 29, 2011
Report finds credit crunch accounts for 20% of nation’s stalled projects
Persistent financing crunch continues to plague design and construction sector.
| Nov 28, 2011
Nauset Construction completes addition for Franciscan Hospital for Children
The $6.5 million fast-track, urban design-build projectwas completed in just over 16 months in a highly sensitive, occupied and operational medical environment.
| Nov 22, 2011
Report finds that L.A. lags on solar energy, offers policy solutions
Despite robust training programs, L.A. lacks solar jobs; lost opportunity for workers in high-need communities.