A Resort’s Renewable Solutions Underline Tourism Potential

A variety of renewable energy solutions for a Playa del Carmen -based wellness resort highlights the potential for Mexico’s tourism industry to decarbonize while saving on energy costs, as well as for renewable energy companies to provide a fitting solution.

Renewable energy developer and supplier Beetmann signed a 10-year contract with wellness resort ‘Palmaïa, the House of AïA’, located on the Caribbean coastline of the Rivera Maya, reported Luxury Travel Advisor. The goal is to supply the resort with 100 percent renewable energy over the course of the contract, reducing its carbon emissions by more than 56,000 metric tons. For Palmaïa, the PPA is not its only clean energy solution. The resort is also working with Solarfuel, a residential and C&I-focused solar panel installer to place  over 2,000 panels across its territory. Solarfuel furthermore partnered with a local company to install a heat pump, eliminating the resort’s dependence on natural gas.

The variety of solutions applied at the resort highlight some of the potential the tourism industry represents for Mexico’s renewable energy sector and vice-versa. On the one hand, it is crucial for renewable energy companies to tap in to every potential market in order to increase their footprint. On the other hand, for the tourism industry, turning to renewable energy solutions provides more than benefits in terms of energy stability and lower electricity costs:  tapping in to the growing sustainable tourism trend while at the same time lowering the negative impact the resort could have on its environment. Palmaïa safeguarded the flora and fauna of its environment during the construction phase and furthermore caters to its clients by using vegan-based and biodegradable products and food.

Financial experts see that consumers increasingly focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria in the products they consume. As a trillion-dollar global industry, tourism leaves a rather large ecological footprint. This impact can be addressed by companies and then used as a positive differentiator in the industry, according to analysts from investment bank Barclays.

In an interview with MBN, Beetmann’s Founder and CEO Juan Carlos García de la Cadena stressed that energy efficiency is a further key component of decarbonization: “There are many options for final users to boost their sustainability and take control of their electricity bills. It is not just about lowering costs; it is about consuming less electricity in general. As large consumers, your responsibility is to make your business as sustainable as possible,” he said.