Alma will become the resort with the largest solar power system in Vietnam.

Specifically, Alma Resort is installing 5,634 solar panels covering a total area of ​​12,500 m².²for the entire roofing system of 196 villas, two V-shaped buildings with 384 apartments, a reception lobby, a spa area, a gymnasium, and an amenities building.

With a maximum capacity of 2,480 kilowatts – the highest power the system can generate on sunny days – the solar energy system is expected to meet between one-quarter and one-half of the resort's electricity needs, depending on room occupancy during off-peak and peak seasons.

It is estimated that this solar energy system will help Alma save approximately 390.85 billion VND in electricity costs and reduce carbon emissions by about 72,670 tons over a period of 25 years.

“Based on the weather in Cam Ranh, we can fully utilize the abundant sunlight. This is a sustainable and environmentally friendly solution for applying renewable energy. We hope that after Alma Resort, all high-end hotels and resorts across Vietnam will also implement this project,” - Alma Resort CEO, Herbert Laubichler-Pichler, shared with the press.

In this project, Alma Resort is collaborating with three major German companies: Melchers (Vietnam), Aschoff Solar Ltd., and another financial company. Alma Resort will not have to pay for the initial installation costs; instead, it will pay for the actual electricity consumed over a 10-year period. It is estimated that, even including the cost of solar energy technology, the resort will still save over 45 billion VND in electricity costs over the 10-year period.

So, do guests benefit from these cost savings?

Speaking to the press, a representative from Alma Resort stated that while electricity costs per room/apartment will decrease, room rates for guests will remain unchanged. Instead, Alma will use the savings (from installing solar power) to continue investing in other sustainable, long-term projects across the resort system. Guests will be the ones directly benefiting from and experiencing these environmentally friendly "green" services.

In 2021, the resort also launched the Alma Resort mobile app to maximize contactless communication between guests and staff, marking a step towards sustainable development by digitizing information such as menus, resort maps, vouchers, etc. The resort also regularly organizes environmental activities such as planting trees and cleaning up the beach.

With hundreds of solar energy projects under construction, Vietnam has officially surpassed Thailand to become the largest user of solar energy in Southeast Asia. Hopefully, following Alma Resort, Vietnam will see many more high-end resorts undertaking similar large-scale, sustainable, and long-term environmentally friendly projects in the future.

Lam Oanh