Anguilla’s Latest Five-Star Amenity? Solar Power

With oceanfront suites, a hammam-anchored spa, and an intimate rum room, Anguilla’s Zemi Beach House has five stars — and nearly 3,000 solar panels. Installed this past winter, a solar farm runs adjacent to the Caribbean resort and powers the property from dawn until dusk. The resort ranks as Anguilla’s first five-star hotel that’s completely solar during the day, indicating a bright future for green travel. 

Solar Panels at Zemi Beach House Photo: Anna Staropoli

An Investment in Green Travel

That solar investment cost Zemi roughly $3.5 million, which accounts for both the 2,750 solar panels and 425 batteries. “The big investment is the batteries; the panels are the cheapest part,” said Adriano Vasconcelos, Zemi’s director of engineering. 

“The hotel plans to eventually invest in more batteries to store additional energy,” said Paulo Paias, Zemi’s general manager. With that investment, Paias hopes Zemi will achieve 90 to 100 percent autonomy from the grid.

For now, with the batteries currently in operation, Zemi automatically switches to solar every morning around 4 or 5 a.m. Guests don’t necessarily realize this transition has occurred, though they certainly feel its impact; Zemi strategically times the solar onset with peak energy consumption, when guests use more hot water, air conditioning, and the like. Peak consumption typically requires a little more than 400 kilowatts, while Zemi produces 800, sometimes 900, kilowatts, said Paias.

After all, guests — particularly millennials or Gen Z — are increasingly interested in sustainable hotels. “But, the moment there’s a problem with the electricity, if the [electricity’s] not working, [guests] will complain,” said Paias. 

Zemi Beach House’s 307 year old Thai House Spa Photo: Courtesy of Zemi Beach House

Challenges of Solar Power

Later in the day, after travelers have finished snorkeling in Shoal Bay or unwinding with a Thai House massage, the batteries automatically shut down. This change typically occurs around 8 or 8:30 p.m., though the exact timing depends on the day’s weather. The batteries will shut off early if conditions prove too cloudy. However, that’s not to say the more sunlight, the better. “A surplus of sun can actually overcharge the batteries and risk destroying them, said Vasconcelos.”

Yet while Zemi’s batteries came with the steepest price tag, the panels required the most labor. Physically leveling the panels’ field presented the greatest challenge in the resort’s solar installment, said Vasconcelos. The lot Zemi purchased was uneven, with rock still in the ground. The team initially used dynamite to explode pieces of that rock, but when fragments started to fly too close to the hotel, they changed course. The ensuing process of chopping away at the rock took roughly eight months, said Vasconcelos.

Zemi Beach House Photo: Allen Tsai

Nature’s Effect on Green Travel

That time frame doesn’t account for another cause of delay: the threat of a hurricane. In a region prone to natural disasters, Zemi paused panel installation upon receiving notice of an encroaching storm. The hotel’s now in-use panels can endure up to a Category 1 hurricane, but Zemi’s team recognizes the limitations of its location. Just in case, the hotel keeps two generators, one of which can produce roughly 600 kilowatts, said Paias. 

As Zemi settles into its solar rhythm, government subsidies and local mechanisms for investments may prove valuable for more hotels to follow suit. “There [are] no subsidies from the local government or anyone else,” said Paias, who believes public investment will be instrumental to the Caribbean’s green future. “We knew we had to go in this project self-financing … what matters is we will be doing something that makes economic and financial sense and, at the same time, [reduces] our CO2 footprint.”

With other islands in close proximity — a 20-minute boat ride separates Anguilla from St. Maarten — Paias sees Anguilla as a reflection of its neighbors … and Zemi as an example of what any hotel can accomplish. “I think [solar is] not only for the luxury hospitality,” said Paias. “It’s for any business, any star-rating hotel.”

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