The Sunny Side of Yha Aoraki Mt Cookaoraki Mt Cook
YHA New Zealand have shown their commitment to sustainability by becoming the first commercial operator in Aoraki Mt
Cook National Park to install solar power.
YHA Aoraki Mt Cook undertook a major environmental and long-term investment with project partner Sunshine Solar by
installing a comprehensive system designed to harness renewable energy and increase efficiency within the hostel.
YHA New Zealand Manager, Operations, Simon Cartwright, says, “the installation of a complete sustainable energy solution
at YHA Aoraki Mt Cook is extremely gratifying, and entirely appropriate given the hostel’s location in one of New
Zealand’s most prominent National Parks. I am delighted that we can add Aoraki Mt Cook to a growing list of YHA New
Zealand hostels that are contributing to reducing our carbon footprint in support of our carbon neutral status.”
The system is extensive and goes beyond just installing solar panels. 300 solar evacuated tubes can produce 30kWhp of
energy to heat over 835,000 litres of water each year. A dedicated tank reticulates hot water to ensure a plentiful
supply, more efficiently heated.
The impressive array on the roof of YHA Aoraki Mt Cook includes 76 photovoltaic panels, complete with optimizers and
inverters. These can produce 21.7kWhp of energy, meaning a total of 74MWh of renewable energy generated by the hostel
each year. That could save the equivalent CO2 emissions of 25,172kg of coal burned, or 7.7 homes’ electricity use for a
year.
These projected emission reductions are mirrored by the results achieved at YHA Franz Josef and YHA Wellington following
their solar installations last year. At the Franz Josef hostel, power usage dropped 39% in the first year of using solar
power, accompanied by a 21% drop in gas usage. In YHA Wellington’s first six months, they reduced their CO2 emissions by
5.4 tonnes.
Sunshine Solar’s systems also include splash monitoring – a visual display of power usage throughout each property. This
helps identify any high-use areas to be examined and encourages guests to reduce their energy consumption.
While the installation of these systems results in long term financial savings for YHA, that isn’t the only motivating
factor. YHA’s managed hostels and National Office became carboNZeroCertTM certified in November 2016; in order to
maintain the certification, they’ve committed to reducing their emissions each year.
Sustainability advocate and HR Coordinator, Kate Ufton, says, “Our goal is to keep New Zealand in the same or better
state than it is today, so future generations can enjoy our beautiful country. We weave sustainability practices into
our everyday operations because that’s how it should be.”
The installation of solar power is the latest upgrade to YHA Aoraki Mt Cook and occurred alongside improvements to
bathroom facilities at the hostel. The kitchen was refurbished in 2016 which ensures all facilities meet Qualmark’s 4
Star Plus Gold Rating and demonstrates the organisation’s ongoing commitment to quality standards.
About YHA New Zealand
The Youth Hostels Association of New Zealand, (YHA New Zealand) is a not-for-profit association that was established in
1932 in Canterbury. With a network of 40+ hostels in both islands, YHA New Zealand provides high quality budget
accommodation to New Zealanders and international travellers. YHA New Zealand is a committed advocate of sustainable
practices. Learn more at yha.co.nz/sustainability
About Sunshine Solar
Sunshine Solar has worked hard to help families, trusts, schools, community organisations and businesses find the best
solutions to high power consumption for over a decade. Sunshine Solar keeps pace with this emerging and evolving market
while also teaming up with the University of Canterbury and Christchurch Polytechnic to work on desalination and
alternative energy solutions for third world communities.http://www.sunshinesolar.co.nz/
ENDS