Powering Sustainability: Robinsons Hotels and Resorts Partners with Skye Renewables for Solar Energy Shift

POSTED BY: Lionell Go Macahilig
2024-11-14 17:04:39 PHT

In a landmark move towards sustainability, Robinsons Hotels and Resorts (RHR), the hospitality arm of the Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC), signed a Power Supply Agreement (PSA) with Skye Renewables to transition several of its hotels to renewable energy. This partnership underscores RHR’s commitment to sustainability and reducing its carbon footprint through solar power.

At a signing ceremony held at Midtown Hall in Robinsons Cyberscape Alpha, RHR’s Senior Vice President and Business Unit General Manager, Barun Jolly, emphasized the company's goal of long-term sustainability. “Robinsons Land Corporation has a strong ethos of being a sustainable company, and at Robinsons Hotel and Resorts, we are aligning with that vision by reducing our reliance on non-renewable energy,” said Jolly.

“We sought a partner who could help us move towards renewable energy efficiently, and Skye Renewables met all our criteria,” he added.

Moving Towards Renewable Energy

The partnership will initially cover three hotels—Summit Hotel Naga, Go Hotels Plus Naga, and Grand Summit General Santos. These properties will soon be powered by rooftop solar systems, which include a state-of-the-art Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) system, marking a major step in RHR's sustainability strategy. This initiative is part of RHR’s broader goal to have 10% of its energy usage come from renewable sources.

Jolly highlighted the meticulous process in choosing Skye Renewables as their partner. “We evaluated several companies, but Skye’s expertise, agility, and commitment to the project made them stand out,” he said. “Their thorough research, including shadow maps and output utilization studies, gave us confidence in their capabilities.”

Selecting Skye as their partner was based on three vital criteria: credibility, ability to address RHR’s specific needs, and long-term commitment. “For hotels, solar projects represent not just an environmental initiative but an economic one—our assets require significant capital investment, so protecting them is paramount. Skye not only thoroughly addressed our concerns about installation impact but also provided actionable solutions and committed to remediating any potential issues. That level of commitment is rare in this industry,” he emphasized.

In addition to moving towards renewable energy, RHR is actively reducing its environmental impact in other ways. Robinson Hotels and Resorts Vice President Annalyn Yap shared how RHR had already replaced single-use plastic amenities with bulk dispensers and introduced water in glass bottles across its international brands. “These efforts are part of our mission to minimize plastic waste and improve overall sustainability,” Yap added.

Meanwhile, according to Lucky Jay Damaso, Corporate Energy Head of Robinsons Land Corporation, the solar installations at Naga and General Santos will result in significant reductions in energy consumption and carbon emissions. “These installations will help reduce the hotels' carbon emissions by 10% to 15%, translating to around 460,000 kWh of renewable energy annually and over 326 metric tons of carbon dioxide avoided equivalent to 5,314 Trees planted” Lucky explained. This reduction will help RHR contribute to RLC's larger sustainability goals and decrease its overall greenhouse gas emissions.

Expansion Plans

RHR currently operates 26 company-owned hotels across the Philippines, with plans to expand the solar initiative to other properties. “This partnership is a pilot project,” Jolly explained. “If it proves successful, we will extend it to more hotels in our portfolio, potentially covering all 30 properties, including four new hotels set to open soon.”

Skye Renewables’ Head of Philippines, Gary Espino, expressed his excitement about the collaboration, noting that this project aligns perfectly with the company's goal of providing clean, cost-effective energy to businesses across Southeast Asia. “We are thrilled to be partnering with RHR, one of the most iconic hospitality brands in the Philippines. This is a significant step towards a sustainable future,” Espino said.

A Commitment to Sustainability

RHR’s leadership is firm in its dedication to sustainability. Yap noted the company’s commitment to sustainability. “We understand the role we play in the communities where we are located. We take that very seriously and we also want to make sure that we do our part in looking after Mother Earth, which is the only home we have,” she said.

Jolly could not agree more. He noted that “our commitment to a greener environment is resolute,” said Jolly. “As one of the largest hotel operators in the country, we believe it's our responsibility to lead the hospitality industry in sustainable practices.”

With this partnership, Robinsons Hotels and Resorts and Skye Renewables are setting a new standard for sustainability in the hospitality sector, proving that businesses can operate responsibly while also achieving significant cost savings. As the demand for greener business practices grows, this collaboration demonstrates the power of partnerships in achieving ambitious sustainability goals.

To learn more about Skye Renewables Philippines, Inc., visit its website at https://www.skyerenewables.com/.