Renewable energy in action

In the Royal Son Bou we are very aware that tourism, although vital to the economy in our country and in Menorca has a significant impact on the environment, mainly due to the high consumption of natural resources and energy.

Energy consumption is one of the most important aspects of this environmental impact and its implications in carbon emissions are significant.

A hotel like ours, requires large amounts of energy to operate efficiently, among others for air conditioning, lighting, pool maintenance, for daily use of kitchen and laundry equipment. This energy consumption has been powered until now of non-renewable sources such as oil.

The intensive use of fossil fuels to satisfy the energy needs causes the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases. These emissions contribute to global warming and climate change, with adverse impacts on ecosystems, biodiversity and human health.

In addition to the energy consumption and carbon emissions, the hotel generates other negative environmental impacts, such as the generation of solid waste or the consumption of water.

To mitigate these negative effects and move towards sustainability, it is essential to adopt more efficient practices in the use of resources, invest in renewable technologies and promote a culture of environmental responsibility in all our operations.

The commitment of the Royal Son Bou Family Club

Corporative responsibility, quality and sustainability are not only ideals for us, it is an integral part of our identity that we transform into tangible actions.

Our last great challenge has been the construction and start-up of the photovoltaic plant Royal Son Bou.

With this initiative, what we put in motion on April 1, 2023, we have satisfied the following needs:

• We attend the demand of our visitors: Families that visit us, are more and more informed and concerned about the environmental impact of their actions, including their accommodation choices. Families prefer and demand establishments that demonstrate a genuine commitment to sustainability and protection of the environment.
• We comply with the regulations: Local, national and European authorities are implementing regulations to reduce carbon footprint in all sectors, including us the hotels. In Spain, the Climate Change and Energy Transition Law sets measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promotes the transition towards a low carbon economy.The construction and start-up of the photovoltaic plant is an important lever to achieve that necessary transition.
• We reduce long-term costs: Even though initially it has required a significant investment for a independent hotel like ours, the implementation of sustainable measures, such as energy efficiency or responsible waste management, can lead to significant long-term savings in the hotel's operating costs.
• We preserve our environment: We depend largely on natural resources and the beauty of Menorca to attract our families. Adopting sustainable practices helps to preserve these resources, protect the biodiversity and maintain the quality of the natural environment, which in turn contributes to our economic viability in the long term.

Some data about the photovoltaic plant

• Investment: € 1,300.000. The aid of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) has contributed to cover part of this investment.
• Functioning: Our photovoltaic plant uses the energy of the sun by 2.424 solar panels of 540Wp.
• Installed Power: 1.1Mwpage
• Location: On the road from Alaior to Son Bou, left side
• Surface of the plant: 5,533,74 m2
• Performance: An annual electrical generation of 1,535.7 KWh /kwp is expected.

Therefore, the annual energy generated will be 1,824,439,68 KWh.

According to the data of the Institute for Energy Varification and Savings (IDEA) a household in Spain consumes about 3,500 kWh per year, what means our plant generates energy for 521 homes each year.

Since its start-up on April 1, 2023, we registered 1,475,000 KWH of energy until the end of the year, which led to 91.8% of all the energy we needed at the hotel in 2023.

Energy saving: Given the mix of energy generation on the island of Menorca, an annual saving of CO2 emissions of 930tn is estimated.