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We know Robben Island is one of the Mother City’s premier tourist destinations, but most of the time we’re reporting on some kind of ferry disaster.

This story actually broke a few weeks back, but in case it passed you by let’s check in on the latest developments over on the island.

Drum roll please…

Say hello to solar energy and far less dirty diesel and emissions for Robben Island, because their solar energy micro-grid has gone live. Part of a R25-million project, it’s the first step in turning the world heritage site green.

Of course they made a slick video to celebrate the launch:

Nice.

A little more on the microgrid via Business Tech:

And this from Tourism Minister Tokozile Xasa:

“It is estimated that the system will reduce the use of diesel generators by almost 45%, which means that the annual diesel usage will drop from around 619,000 litres to 344,000 litres, saving the Island about 275,000 litres of diesel per annum.

“What we are therefore looking at, is that this project will save the fiscal an estimated amount of almost R5 million per annum, which means that this project will pay for itself within five years,” the minister said.

High fives to those involved with the project, and hopefully Robben Island’s greener footprint can set a precedent for others to follow.

If the city is going to run dry thanks to drought, we may as well use the sun for something good.

[source:businesstech]