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Everyone needs electricity and heat – but how to best organise transmission, distribution and storage? Go ahead and learn about the most intelligent designs and solutions!
Energy efficiency is key, both for the current building stock and for everything to be built from now on. Find out more about how the building stock can be made fit for future energy savings!
In tomorrow’s energy world, industries, commerce and agriculture use only a fraction of the energy they use today – with no negative effects on output.
Electromobility and new, alternative fuels are about to fundamentally change the transport sector. Find out more about the characteristics and prospects of these technologies!
In order to achieve an integrated energy system, power, heat and mobility need to be combined in a way that is both intelligent and sustainable. Take a look at relevant approaches in this field!
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Azalaï Hôtel Bamako in Mali lowers energy costs and carbon footprint with hybrid solar
Introduction
Since 2023, Mali has faced a worsening energy crisis, with daily power outages and grid instability disrupting business operations across the country. Mali’s dependency on imported fossil fuels and its underdeveloped national grid have made electricity not only unreliable but increasingly unaffordable—particularly for energy-intensive sectors like hospitality. As a result, businesses are looking for alternatives to reduce their reliance on the public grid and protect themselves from rising costs and outages.
One of the early movers is the Azalaï Group, a leading hotel operator in West Africa, known for its commitment to quality service and forward-thinking management.
A Strategic Shift: Solar Energy at Azalaï Hôtel Bamako
In 2024, the Azalaï Group commissioned a 460 kWp grid-tied solar PV system at its flagship hotel in Bamako. Designed for self-consumption, the installation now provides around 710,000 kWh of electricity per year, covering more than 20% of the hotel’s total power needs.
The system reduces dependence on diesel generators and grid supply, ensuring more stable operations in a highly volatile energy environment. The outcome: greater energy security and lower energy bills, with early data showing a noticeable drop in electricity spending.
Beyond economic savings, the system helps avoid more than 500 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually, supporting the group’s ambition to become a more sustainable hospitality brand.
As Kadidia DIARRA, Energy & HSSE Project Manager of the AZALAI group, puts it: “The preservation of the environment is a major priority for our company. We aim to make our hotel units more sustainable and environmentally friendly. This approach offers a dual benefit: improving our economic performance while contributing to the preservation of our one and only planet, Earth.”
Support from the German Energy Solutions Initiative
The Project Development Programme (PDP), implemented by GIZ under the German Energy Solutions Initiative, supported Azalaï Group from the earliest stages of the project. This included a comprehensive technical and financial pre-feasibility study to assess system sizing, economic viability, and return on investment. PDP also provided neutral advisory support throughout the procurement process. As Oumar Sow, country representative at PDP, explains: “Azalaï’s project shows how private sector players in Mali can take the lead in clean energy adoption. Our role was to provide neutral technical and financial advice to help structure the project in a way that delivers long-term value.”
The final system features SMA Sunny Tripower Core2 inverters made in Germany, known for their quality and durability, and includes real-time online monitoring to track system performance.
Scaling Up: A Regional Solar Rollout
Following the success at Azalaï Hôtel Bamako, the group is now working with PDP to explore solar system deployments at two additional hotels in Bamako, with further projects planned for Burkina Faso and Senegal. This regional rollout highlights a growing awareness in West Africa’s hospitality sector that solar is not only a sustainable choice — but a smart one.
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