A Da Nang resort will soon become the country’s first solar-powered entertainment complex, highlighting the coastal city’s push towards renewable energy sources.

The solar power system at the CocoBay resort will save 4.5 per cent of total energy consumption at the 31ha entertainment centre, and reduce the complex’s carbon emissions by 45 tonnes each year. The first phase of the project will become operational later this year.

The project will be built by the HCM City-based SolarBK company following an agreement with the Empire Group, CocoBay’s parent company.

The CocoBay solar project follows previous investment in renewable energy in Da Nang. Da Nang is seen as the first city in Viet Nam to promote clean energy solutions for residential use. The city has been developed as a tourist attraction with green and high-tech industries.

According to a report from the city’s Industry and Trade department, around 30 per cent of Da Nang city’s population uses solar-powered heaters, while five-star hotels and resorts have used the solar power heater systems as an environmentally friendly cost-saving measure.

Da Nang also developed a pilot project of installing a solar power system for two deep-sea fishing vessels.

In 2014, a small solar power system was built in FPT Complex project – the Information Technology (IT) Service Centre – to supply 12kWh each day. The project also has a solar-power heater system with a capacity of 1,500 litres.

In 2011-15, the city cut 12,000 tonnes of carbon emissions and saved $433,000 by using nano-lighting technology in its public lighting system.

The city also plans to develop two solar power stations on buildings in 2020, which will generate electricity for the buildings where they’re installed.

A representative of SolarBK told Viet Nam News the CocoBay system was designed with a 1.5 MWp (megawatts photovoltaic) capacity at an investment of US$1.8 million in 2017-19. As planned, the system will provide 67,640 kilowats per hour (KWh) per year.

The project is not SolarBK’s first foray into solar power at hospitality complexes. Earlier, SolarBK built a 4,000-litre solar powered heater system at the five-start Naman Retreat Resort, also operated by the Empire Group.

Last year, the company began construction of a high-tech renewable energy device factory complex in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau at a total investment of VND385 billion ($17 million).

SolarBK also completed construction of a solar-powered lighting system in Truong Sa (Spratly) Island and a solar power-driven sea water filtration system on Viet Nam’s Song Tu Tay Island.— VNS