In sunny Cyprus an ambitious new solar project is bringing greener energy to Mall of Cyprus and Mall of Engomi. General Manager Julian Smith shares the background.

How did the solar project at Mall of Cyprus and Mall of Engomi come about?
Becoming “greener” as a business has been on the cards for some time, and with the recent energy price increases across Europe, the time has never been better to invest in alternatives. Our local electrical contractor presented us with an opportunity to partner on this project, which, in effect, allowed us to “pay as we save” and made the business case financially attractive from an investment point of view. Over recent years PV panels have become more efficient and have decreased in price, which makes the repayment period shorter as well.

What does the project entail and how will it be rolled out in the malls?
The project is basically being implemented in three phases, and the first phase has already been completed with the installation of around 2 000 tier one panels on the existing roof of Mall of Cyprus. These will generate 677 kW of electricity.

In phase 2 we intend to install an expansion to this system at Mall of Cyprus to bring the power generation up to just over one megawatt.

Phase 3 will be at Mall of Engomi, where due to limited roof space we might install covered car parking bays that house solar panels. This part of the project is still at the design and costing stage, but we hope to generate around 440 kW.

What will the benefits be once the whole project is completed? Is there a specific level of “green” certificate that will be achieved and what does it mean for the malls to have this?
We recently undertook a building energy-efficiency rating review which achieved a “B” status. We expect, once the entire PV system goes online, for Mall of Cyprus to have an “A” rating. Aside from the corporate social responsibility benefits and the ultimate cost savings in buying less energy from the grid, we will be generating power from a sustainable and, in Cyprus at least, abundant source.

What is the timeline for completion?
Phase 1 went “live” at the end of May – just in time for the sunny summer months in order to maximise the potential as early as possible.

Is this a first in Cyprus or are there other malls that have solar technology?
We are not aware of another mall that has a significant project of this scale in operation at present. However, we know that with the recent surge in energy costs and supply issues across Europe currently, a number of malls are looking to implement similar projects.

Aside from the solar project, are you rolling out other environmentally aware strategies?
In addition to the PV projects, which are expected to generate around 10-15% of our overall electricity requirement, the electricity market in Cyprus is about to open up to competition which will allow other sustainable providers such as solar farms to re-sell electricity domestically. We are actively sourcing new suppliers for the remainder of our requirements which will, in due course, mean that 100% of our electricity usage will be from sustainable sources, further reducing our consumption costs as a result.

At the same time, we are looking at other green initiatives across both malls:

• Recycling of food waste to reduce volumes that must be transported to waste disposal sites to end up as landfill. This may, in due course, lead to on-site composting should the volumes involved warrant it. We are including our major tenant IKEA in this initiative.
• Adiabatic cooling – this is a system that sprays water onto our chillers, lowering the ambient operating temperature, and in so doing prolonging the lifespan of the equipment and reducing energy consumption.
• Replacing and upgrading older equipment with newer, more efficient machinery.
• Installation of EV charging points. Uptake of electric cars in Cyprus is still small but is expected to grow significantly over the next few years.