Beginning in late 2021, just as attractions worldwide were recovering from the impacts of COVID-19, steep increases in energy prices that hadn’t been seen in decades emerged. Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine exacerbated the situation, especially in Europe, with the Centre for Economic Policy Research reporting in October 2022 that gas and electricity wholesale prices had increased 109% and 138%, respectively, and the European Central Bank reported a 27% increase in oil prices by April 2022.
The cost increases were substantial for one of Europe’s most-visited attractions, Europa-Park in Rust, Germany, according to the park’s Managing Partner, Roland Mack.
“As with everyone else, electricity costs have increased significantly for us in 2022 and 2023. Overall, we expect [our] energy costs to increase by around 10 million euros in 2023,” Mack tells Funworld.
The park took immediate action to address the increases and worked diligently to ensure they had minimal impact on guests, though that wasn’t always possible.
“We have reduced our energy consumption by about 15%, ideally in areas where our guests don’t notice it immediately,” Mack says. “But that of course doesn't always work. Take our hotel pools, for example: If we lower the [water] temperature to 26° C, the guests go straight to the reception desk and complain the water is too cold. They’re used to it being 30° C.”
Mack notes, however, that Europa-Park committed to saving energy long before the recent crisis began, so this is not an entirely new challenge.
Tapping into the Sun
Mack says 15 years ago, the park built a large solar system at its guest carpark that generates 2 to 3 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity. The attraction in southwest Germany also built solar panel roofs over the parking lot at its Rulantica water park.
“These systems alone could supply more than 400 households with energy for an entire year, but in the end, that alone does not solve our energy problem,” he says.
Mack explains that an idea arose to join efforts with automobile logistics company Mosolf, which has huge parking lots near Europa-Park. The park requires a lot of energy during peak periods, and Mack points out that producing power through solar requires an enormous amount of space.
“About 20 hectares of the huge parking area will be covered with solar panels, enough space for 8,500 cars. The joint project is a perfect synergy of two family businesses.”
Half of the energy output, which is anticipated to be about 25 million kWh, is designated to supply Europa-Park. Mack predicts the park will be able to supply itself long-term with renewable energy and be largely independent of other energy sources, especially during the peak summer months. The investment will be in the range of 30 million euros.
Looking into the future, Europa-Park is focusing on high-performance storage solutions that would enable even greater use of solar energy.
“This will be a significant step in the direction of regenerative energy production and supply,” says Mack. “We already operate our own photovoltaic systems, hydroelectric power, and thermal power stations, but this new facility will open up a whole new dimension in regenerative energy supply.”
The Importance of Solar Assessments
When attractions install an extensive new solar energy installation, like the one coming to Europa-Park, it’s understandable for decision makers to wonder how effective the new system will be. Wet ‘n’ Wild water park in Kapolei, Oahu, Hawaii, can be seen as an example, as it just completed the second year of operation of a solar system supplying nearly 100% of the park’s energy consumption.
Working with solar systems provider Sunspear Energy, the park activated a 1.3-megawatt system in April 2021. Park General Manager Scott Loos says the system is a win-win.
“The solar carports are a great solution for converting under utilized space into a revenue generating asset. Wet ‘n’ Wild guests have the added bonus of shady, covered parking.”
As for the system’s performance, Jeffrey Kaemmerlen, CEO of Sunspear, says, “The system produced 0.5% more power in 2022 (first full calendar year of operation) than was forecasted, which is good because we typically see a 2% reduction in year one due to light-induced degradation and then some annual degradation.”
Regarding challenges, Loos feels fortunate the park’s operating hours are when the sun is shining. But there are times of year when the park isn’t open, so there’s no use for the energy on those days.
“To solve this, we’re working with Sunspear to add more solar panels and an energy storage system, which will store excess daytime solar power in the battery to power our pumps and other energy needs at night.”
His advice for attractions considering solar energy is to “get creative about financing,” and adds, “We did a lot of strategizing and partnering to create this 1.3 MW solar system. Just because something like this isn’t in your annual budget doesn’t mean it’s not possible to achieve with some strong partnerships.”
Small Attraction, Big Results
Ladybird Farm Leisure Center, a family entertainment center (FEC) in Patca, Hungary, has made mindful ecological practices a cornerstone of its operations. Founder/owner János Handó says the FEC recently expanded its solar energy system and saw the benefit.
“We have installed 30 KW more, therefore we now have 170 KW. This extension is to cover the energy needs of a new 900 square-meter reception, restaurant, and conference center building,” Handó says.
He says the FEC has also made a practice of pairing the use of heat pumps and solar panels. “State-of-the art air water heat pumps can produce 4 to 5 kWh heat (or cold) from 1 kWh of electricity. A 1 KW photovoltaic solar panel can produce 1,250 to 1,300 kWh electricity per year in Hungary. So when we know the energy needs, a simple calculation gives us the quantity of solar panels needed,” Handó tells Funworld.
But Handó stresses that the FEC’s objective is not simply to provide energy from renewable sources, but to also decrease overall energy needs. “By this approach, we decrease the solar capacity needed that also reduces the carbon footprint of the production of solar panels. A real-life example is our new reception building that has a superb insulation and three-glass-layered windows and doors, plus window shading. As a result, the energy need is halved. Therefore, 30 KW solar capacity is sufficient, but it would be 60 KW if we do not invest in energy-saving construction practices,” he explains.
