Berlin, 14.09.2017. German EPC Provider KRAFTWERK Renewable Power Solutions has begun construction of the PV-battery diesel hybrid system at the luxurious Tierra Atacama Hotel & Spa, part of the Tierra Hotels collection. Through the expansion of its existing PV plant and the addition of a storage system, the off-grid hotel located in the Atacama Desert will benefit from 60-65% annual diesel savings.
Together with smart energy storage solutions provider QINOUS, KRAFTWERK will implement a 335 kWh high-efficient Lithium-Ion battery storage and management solution that guarantees extended hours of operations with 100% solar energy, an uninterrupted power supply and a longer lifetime of the existing diesel generators.
Tierra hotels has been a pioneer in the usage of renewable energy since 2013, when it commissioned KRAFTWERK to design and construct its first PV plant – a 23 kWp PV-diesel hybrid system that has since been covering up to half of the hotel’s daytime electricity needs. Since then the hotel has saved a significant amount of diesel and even been named the “Most Sustainable Tourism Company in Chile” by the Federation of Tourism Companies of Chile (FEDETUR).
The expansion of the Tierra Atacama Hotel & Spa’s PV plant was selected as a showcase project by the German Energy Agency (dena). The project is now part of the worldwide Renewable Energy Solutions (RES) Programme 2015/17, which is coordinated by dena and co-financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) within the German Energy Solutions Initiative.
“We are pleased to say that we are on schedule and construction should be successfully completed in time,” said Rodja Sass, Project Manager at KRAFTWERK, “We are especially proud to contribute to the success and core values of Tierra Hotels. Their philosophy of protecting the environment is 100% in line with our corporate values.”
Commissioning is scheduled for September and will be followed by an inauguration ceremony in October.
