Walt Disney has found a new source of power for its much-loved theme parks – solar energy. The Walt Disney World Resort has announced its new 270-acre solar facility is now online and generating energy.
The solar farm will eventually generate enough electricity to power two of the resort’s four theme parks.
The huge renewable energy facility follows the construction of Disney’s iconic Mickey Mouse-shaped 5MW solar park that opened in 2016 next to Disney’s Epcot centre.
The new solar site is to provide 25% of the power Disney World uses, equivalent to powering two of its theme parks.
Comprising of 518,000 solar panels, the facility is located outside Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park near Orlando, Florida. The power produced at the site is fed into the local electrical grid where it is used to power Disney parks.
The solar farm will reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by more than 52,000 metric tonnes.
Angie Renner, environmental integration director at Walt Disney World Resort, spoke of the company’s eco-friendly goals.
“We are striving towards three main environmental goals: divert 60 percent of our waste from landfills by 2020, reduce net emissions 50 percent (from 2012 levels) by 2020, and reduce water consumption across the board,” said Renner.
By taking bold steps in the race to reduce carbon emissions and make the planet cleaner, Walt Disney World is setting the bar in what an eco-friendly, future-focused theme park brand looks like.
