"Energy Positive" Hotel Generates More Energy Than it Uses

In 2021, Norway plans to unveil Svart, a palatial wonder for those who can afford to be environmentally conscious.

“Svart” means black in Norwegian (a tribute to the dark blue ice of the Svartisen glacier), and it stands to be the world’s first “energy positive” hotel by the Arctic Circle. What makes something energy positive? Quite simple, it generates more energy than it uses, hence a net positive.

The collaborative effort between Arctic Adventure of Norway, Snøhetta, and Powerhouse is designed after the energy positive Powerhouse standard, and it generates enough solar energy to cover operations and building construction. The company claims that Svart reduces its yearly energy consumption by 85% compared to other modern hotels, and the project is designed to be a “sustainable tourist destination.”

Note that I said “sustainable,” not “affordable.”

What’s the downside? Like most green energy applications, Svart won’t be cheap. With a gorgeous, panoramic view of the Svartisen glacier, Svart is perfect for environmentally conscious 1%-ers, but it’ll almost certainly be prohibitively expensive for the rest of us.

Svart boasts huge energy savings, but since those savings won’t be passed on to consumers, the cynical part of me says this hotel is a transparent ploy to cut costs while getting a pat on the back.

Read more about Svart here: http://www.svart.no/