Ohana Real Estate Investors, embarked on an initiative with Tesla for energy project at the Twin Dolphin community in Los Cabos, Mexico. Developed, owned and operated by Ohana, Twin Dolphin is a 1,400-acre master-planned community that includes Maravilla Los Cabos, a private residential community and club, Montage Los Cabos resort and residences, and Twin Dolphin Club, featuring an 18-hole Fred Couples Signature golf course.
With the help of Tesla’s technology, Ohana has begun a multiphase project that is setting a new standard for environmental stewardship, with plans to bring the entire Twin Dolphin community completely off the grid, making it the first community to achieve 100% reliable renewable energy in North America. In addition to Twin Dolphin, Ohana’s solar energy program with Tesla will also be implemented at Ohana’s brand new Montage Healdsburg resort, which will open in late fall 2020 in Sonoma County, California.
The initiative at Twin Dolphin will leverage Tesla’s fully integrated solar panels and battery energy storage and software systems to provide reliable renewable energy for the entire community. Guided by Ohana’s ongoing commitment to conservation and sustainability, the firm is making a financial investment to reach this objective, and after many years of planning and negotiation, the first phase has received government approvals and is currently underway.
The project will generate over 20 GWh of electricity with the potential for increased efficiency over time. The project consists of a six-system portfolio installed throughout the property, which includes a central ground-mount site spanning over 22 acres, adjacent to Twin Dolphin’s existing reverse osmosis and desalination plant that provides potable water to the community. Furthermore Tesla Powerhub, a data platform to monitor energy use, is incorporated into the project to use real-time and historical data tracking to optimize its energy usage, improve performance, and help inform future decisions.
The new systems will not only provide energy for Twin Dolphin, but also generate clean back-up power for the community, allowing the system to run completely off-grid as needed in the event of power outages due to storms or natural disasters. The back-up power supply also relieves the burden on the local power grid as the Baja region of Mexico experiences energy shortages with increased development, even transferring additional energy back to the local power grid of Los Cabos when available.
This new solar initiative complements Ohana’s commitment to being environmentally sensitive and forward thinking, which has guided its practices at all of its development properties, and has been a particular focus at Twin Dolphin. Sustainability initiatives at Twin Dolphin include the preservation of over 40,000 native plants during the development of the property maintained by its reverse osmosis and desalination plant, conserving energy through unique building design that utilizes automated smart systems for efficient energy use and maximizes natural cooling, utilizing locally sourced building materials, implementing tankless water heaters in all buildings and using LED lights throughout the property. Twin Dolphin also irrigates its golf course and landscaping using non-potable water produced from its desalination plant and waste water treatment facilities.
Ohana Real Estate Investors’ sustainable vision is evident throughout its history. Montage Beverly Hills earned a LEED Gold Certification in 2009, the first LEED certified luxury hotel in Southern California with the certification. Montage Deer Valley was awarded a LEED Silver certification in 2011, the first resort in Utah to earn LEED Certification.
