Fully solar powered Maldives resort sets new standard in green tourism
26 Nov 2014, 8:37 PM
Zaheena Rasheed
Arriving at Gasfinolhu Island, the eye is greeted by solar panels, thatch roofs, white sand and turquoise water. Solar panels shade the long walkway onto the island and cover the roofs of all the utility buildings.
The sparsely vegetated sandbank, approximately 40 minutes from Malé, is the first 100 percent solar-powered luxury resort in the world.
Standing inside the resort’s silent powerhouse, Gasfinolhu owner ‘Champa’ Hussain Afeef said, “The happiest moments are when I can see that the lights are still functioning after all the diesel generators have been switched off.”
Gasfinolhu’s 6,500 square meters of solar panel are capable of producing 1100 Kilowatts at power peak. The island at full occupancy only requires 600 Kilowatts at peak load.
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