Saracen Sands Hotel & Conference Centre, a large hospitality resort in Sicily, is on track to cut its annual energy bill by €500,000 following the installation of a large-scale solar carport and battery energy storage system.
The integrated system is forecast to generate 1.5 GWh of electricity annually, meeting up to 90% of the hotel’s electricity needs while reducing annual CO₂ emissions by approximately 320 tonnes. With an expected return on investment (ROI) period of less than four years, the project is delivering significant operational savings while also reducing the hotel’s exposure to future increases in grid electricity prices.
Located in Isola delle Femmine near Palermo, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, the Saracen Sands Hotel & Conference Centre comprises a 237-room hotel, a conference centre, three swimming pools, a wellness centre and a restaurant. Faced with rising electricity costs, reducing dependence on the grid became a strategic priority for the resort.
Salvo Zappalà, CEO of Dimsi Hospitality Group, says: “Running a large resort means our energy demand is significant, so we were increasingly exposed to rising electricity prices. We wanted to take back control by producing more of our own energy and making better use of it throughout the day.
“However, this investment is about much more than lowering our energy bills. It’s about building a more resilient business that is better prepared for future energy challenges and able to support new services for our guests as our business evolves.”
The hotel already had a 150kW rooftop solar system in place delivered by renewable energy specialist Noon Srl. Following the success of this initial installation, Noon Srl was once again selected to design and deliver the new solar and battery storage solution, enabling the resort to meet the majority of its electricity demand through clean, locally generated energy.
With rooftop space at a premium, Noon Srl designed a purpose-built 850Kw solar carport solution comprising 2,500 JA bifacial double-glass modules. Combined with the existing rooftop installation, the project delivers a total renewable energy capacity of 1 MW, while the carport transforms the hotel’s parking area into a dual-purpose asset, generating clean electricity while providing an additional amenity for guests and protecting from hail and the elements.
The JA modules were chosen to maximise energy production and durability. Bifacial modules capture sunlight on both the front and rear surfaces, increasing overall generation, while the double-glass construction offers enhanced durability and resistance to moisture, salt mist and corrosion – an important consideration given the hotel’s coastal location.
To maximise the use of electricity generated on-site – a key factor in achieving the project’s rapid ROI – Noon installed eight JAPlanet 261 kWh batteries, providing more than 2 MWh of total storage capacity. The batteries are used to store surplus solar energy generated during the day, enabling the hotel to operate for up to five hours during the evening without drawing electricity from the grid.
The battery’s modular design provides built-in flexibility, enabling storage capacity to be increased incrementally up to 5.2 MWh as the hotel’s energy requirements increase. This was an important consideration for the hotel, which is exploring the introduction of EV charging facilities powered by its renewable energy system, creating a new revenue stream for the business.
Giuseppe Puleo, CEO at Noon srl, comments: “Projects like this demonstrate why more commercial customers are investing in integrated solar and storage solutions. Businesses are looking to maximise the value of their solar investments by capturing surplus generation and using it when it provides the greatest financial and operational benefit. A modular approach is essential to this, giving customers the flexibility to increase capacity as their energy requirements evolve.
“For us, delivering long-term value means selecting technology that combines flexibility with proven reliability. This is one of the reasons we have selected JA technology for our C&I projects over the past eight years. We have consistently seen reliable performance and strong results for our customers.”
