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Happy hippos and solar power: SustainSolutions and Copenhagen Zoo in green partnership
Photo: Frank Rønsholt
An annual saving of 6 million litres of water and emissions of 170 ton less CO2. This is the ambition of the collaboration between Copenhagen Zoo and the pension fund PKA's energy fund, SustainSolutions. Even before the summer holidays, the first results can be clearly seen in the hippopotamus house.
Visitors will get a far better look at the hippos when the heavy animals dive down and move with light, springy leaps across the bottom of the basin. A new water treatment plant will be installed, which increases the capacity, makes the water cleaner and makes it much easier to recycle the water.
The climate-conscious visitor will be happy to notice that the facilities of the polar bears and seals also will be energy-improved.
With SustainSolutions, Copenhagen Zoo receives a fully financed energy renovation of EUR 1.61 million, which is paid back through the energy savings over the coming 11 years.
Solar cells on all buildings
The electricity savings will primarily be achieved by installing new solar cells on the roofs of a large number of buildings.
- There will be installed approximately 10 smaller solar power installations, among other things on the roof of the main entrance and on the animal facilities, at enclosures of the elephants, giraffes, chimpanzees and rhinoceroses, SustainSolutions informs in an email to Energy Supply.
The ambition is for the new energy solutions to cut 20 per cent of Copenhagen Zoo's total power consumption, which corresponds to the electricity consumption in a residential neighbourhood with over 100 houses.
- Copenhagen Zoo can be compared to a small village, and in our demarcated area we have both the opportunity and the responsibility to take the lead when it comes to future-proof climate solutions and energy improvements. With this project, we are well on the way, and I am proud and happy about this, says Jørgen Nielsen, CEO at Copenhagen Zoo.
The energy project at Copenhagen Zoo will be completed by the end of June 2019.
Sources:
Energy Supply (in Danish)
SustainSolutions (in Danish)
