WINNER – 2015 Wild Asia Responsible Tourism Awards, Best in Resource Efficiency
Boasting Sri Lanka’s largest privately owned solar installation (other institutions have visited looking to develop similar systems), guests at Jetwing Yala can fully relax thanks to the resort’s commitment to renewable resources. Jetwing Yala uses a “triple P” concept to focus their sustainability efforts: Profit, People, and Planet, choosing initiatives based on their environmental impact, community benefit, and projected return.
From the designing stages, the hotel built minimize energy consumption, incorporating natural light and ventilation and utilizing natural materials into the construction and has since incorporated a number impressive renewable energy initiatives, many of which are “firsts” for the Sri Lankan hospitality industry.
In addition to their solar installation Jetwing Yala uses a Vapor Absorption Chiller (VAC), which runs sustainably via steam from biomass boilers and supplies the hotel with enough renewable energy to meet the entire hotel’s air conditioning requirements. Both of these projects have been visited and studied by the government and private corporations and now more than 20 VAC units are being used in other industries.
Guests and staff are also encouraged to also do their part to keep their eco-footprint small through non-intrusive, informational signs in guest rooms and educational programs developed for staff members. Embarking on a “green” tour of Jetwing Yala lets guests experience Jetwing Yala’s initiatives while learning more about ways to be environmentally-friendly during their stay.
Thanks to the success of their current renewable energy programs Jetwing Yala is making great strides to achieve carbon neutrality. Their plan for future growth includes the following initiatives:
- Expanding their solar installation to offset the hotel’s entire day-time electricity requirement
- Install a biogas digester to treat organic waste from the kitchen
- Use waste water, which is treated on site and currently allocated for gardening and cooling towers, in cistern flushing as well
- Develop a rainwater harvesting system to be utilize during dry seasons
- Create a “zero plastic” future by installing a water bottling plant using only reusable glass bottles
For more information about Jetwing Yala, visit their website: http://www.jetwinghotels.com/jetwingyala/
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