Sustainability
Sourced from the Mountains, Powered by the Sun
At Ōpuke sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, from operations to water maintenance, to food and beverage we aim to be a leader within the industry and offer an eco-conscious facility to be proud of. 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.
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.