As Wilderness Safaris is truly a conservation company, we strive to ensure that our environmental friendliness begins at our camps - and aim to lower our environmental footprint across the subregion. The Zambia camps were the first to use energy-saving systems with great success, followed by camps in Botswana and Namibia.
The following systems were in use at Kalamu Bush Camp, Kalamu Lagoon, Toka Leya, Lufupa Camp and Busanga Bush Camps in 2007, and were implemented in other Zambian camps by 2008.
Each tent has its own Water Geyser and Solar Panel and battery. This allows each unit to run independently to the rest of the camp and frees up more conventional energy resources, e.g., a generator, to remain for the main areas of the camp.
Finally, the systems are clean and neat and contribute towards carbon offsetting. It has already been noted that guests at Kalamu Bush Camp, after seeing the systems in use there, said that they were going to use the same back home - now THAT'S a life-changing journey!
Water Geysers
The solar geyser in use here - known as Evacuated Glass Tubes Solar Water Heater - can store 160 litres of water in its drum at a temperature of 80ºC! Since 25 litres are usually enough for 2 people to have an average length shower, this is enough hot water for 4 days! The water is kept at this temperature by 50mm-thick insulation so that even after 24 hours of no sun, the water does not cool down. The water is heated by 21 copper probes which are inside glass evacuated tubes. These tubes attract all 7 colours of the light spectrum so that even in the shade or a cloudy day it heats up. The copper probes act as elements; therefore each geyser has 21 elements which protrude into the centre of the drum/container. It doesn't require more than 6 bar of pressure. In the case of very cloudy days, there is an option of putting in an electrical element and hooking this up to the generator.
Solar panel - Lighting system
1 panel + battery per tent/unit.
The panel can power 9 x 7-watt lights per tent; the bulbs are energy saving ones of 14 watts so that the tents are brightly lit.
The panel is made of a composite material and hence is unbreakable.
The whole system costs less than $1000 per unit which is maintenance-free for 5 years - the cost becomes very reasonable.
The lighting system uses gel-filled batteries.
Other energy using devices:
Fans
These are 220v which do not run off the system mentioned above, rather off the AC line from the generator.
Kitchen and back-of house
2 donkey boilers are used where all organic, combustible waste from the kitchen are burned to heat up the water.
Generator
The generator here therefore uses much less energy since it is only for use in the main areas and for fans. It is a 5kv one, which is much lighter on fuel.
Fuel used is diesel but plans are in place to run it with bio-diesel.
Waste disposal ideas
Waste is separated and glass, plastics are sent back to Lusaka.
Projects in Zambia
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