Hunter Valley hotel owner Jerry Schwartz will flick the switch on a five megawatt solar farm next to the Crown Plaza, Lovedale next month.
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He hopes the $8.5 million project will be a lightning rod for more investment in the Hunter's renewable sector.
"It is particularly important to showcase renewable energy in the heart of a region still known for its coal mining," Dr Schwartz said.
"Tourism is the sustainable industry of the future for the Hunter Valley and to make the hotel, convention centre and brewery 100 per cent renewable is an important initiative."
The hotel has an annual energy bill of about $1 million.
Dr Schwartz hopes the solar farm, which will feature 13,350 solar panels, will pay for itself within five years.
It is estimated the project will deliver an annual 7,800 tonne reduction in carbon dioxide emissions - the equivalent of taking more than 4300 vehicles off the road.
The project will generate the same amount of power as the City of Newcastle solar farm that is presently under construction at the Summerhill waste management centre.
Cessnock City Council and the Joint Regional Planning Panel approved Dr Schwartz's project in December 2018.
The energy generated from the solar farm will contribute to the requirements of the Crowne Plaza hotel, the adjoining Hunter Valley Conference and Events Centre and Sydney Brewery.
Excess power from the solar farm will initially be sold back to the grid before eventually contributing to the power needs of Dr Schwartz's other hotels across the state.
Dr Schwartz, the largest hotel and tourism investor in the Hunter, said environmental and sustainability best-practice needed to be at the heart of all hospitality operations.
"The opening of the Hunter Valley Conference and Events Centre in 2015 means that at times we have over 1000 people across the venue, so the installation of the solar panels across the property and the building of the new solar farm was an ideal solution to meeting our energy needs while minimising our environmental impact." he said.
The solar farm was envisaged in 2016 and will complement an existing co-generation energy plant at Crowne Plaza.
Waste heat produced in the co-generation process is used for production of hot water and heating in the hotel as well as heating the large swimming pool, production of potable water and use in the Lovedale Brewery production process.
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Matthew Kelly
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
