Sustainability
Sourced from the Mountains, Warmed by the Sun
With sustainability at the heart of everything we do, Ōpuke is quickly becoming an industry leader as the first facility in the world to heat glacial water, among many more initiatives.
Ōpuke Thermal Pools and Spa sources water from the Rangitata River that is fed by the glacial melt water emerging from the spectacular Southern Alps. An industry-leading water-treatment system ensures exceptional purity of our bathing water.
Capturing the warmth of the sun
We are the first facility operating with our spectacular Solar Field, a large array of solar thermal collectors, occupying approximately a quarter of the site, serving as the primary pool water heating system – even on the shortest day in winter, 100% of the pool heating load is met by the solar array (when the sun is out!)
Pool water is transferred to insulated holding tanks outside of operating hours to minimise heat losses. Excess solar energy is stored in buffer tanks and used in combination with energy efficient heat pumps (powered by South Island Hydro schemes) to make up shortfalls in solar energy during cloudy periods and at night without compromising the integrity of our brand.
