Electricity
Tiamo’s shining achievement (the pun is intended) was its electricity generating system. Tiamo had the largest solar electricity generating system owned and operated by a private, tourism facility in the Caribbean and Latin America. With a daily electricity generating capacity of over 130,000 watts and a battery storage facility totaling 4,075 amp hours, Tiamo was the first full service resort with the entire operation utilizing 100% alternative energy for its electrical needs – including a commercial kitchen catering to both resort guests and restaurant business. This was a first in the world. This system was designed by the Real Goods Corporation of California and installed by the Tiamo Resorts team, composed mainly of local South Andros citizens.
However, the real secret to our system was not production – but rather reduction. In order to successfully implement this solar electricity generating system, Tiamo had been designed to minimize energy consumption. Tiamo also avoided using appliances that required large amounts of energy, such as coffeemakers, irons, and hair dryers. To put it into perspective, the whole resort operated on a monthly average of about 950 kilowatt hours – the average US house uses well over 1000 kilowatt hours.
Hot Water
All hot water was created using passive, thermal hot water heaters. No electricity or gas was used, as the sun heated the water. Each two-person bungalow was fitted with a 30-gallon heater, and the commercial kitchen utilized two 50-gallon heaters. The water heating ability was so great that tempering valves had to be used.
Wastewater Treatment
Black water waste (one of the most detrimental wastes to near shore tropical water ecosystems) was dealt with using low flush, composting toilets. Unlike the common perception, these toilets (from the bathroom perspective) were basically a normal toilet, a nice ceramic bowl using water and a one-pint, low flush system. Utilizing the natural talents of microorganisms, waste was broken down into a healthy organic peat, which was used throughout the property in plant beds. There was no negative residual product to affect the shallow fresh water table or the adjacent marine ecosystems.
Grey water, the wastewater from the showers, sinks, and laundry, was sent through a screen filter system for cleansing and then diverted to plant beds. The kitchen grey water was sent through a leach pit of dirt, sand, and rock for more efficient filtering and cleansing. Water loving plants such as bananas and plantains aided in the filtering process and provided food products for the resort. Also, we primarily used biodegradable, phosphorous free soaps for further protection of our water and land resources.
Building Design
The buildings at Tiamo were designed to ensure sustainability and comfort by accounting for site impact, material usage, energy efficiency, and the carrying capacity of the natural environment. Each building was elevated using simple columns. This minimized site impact because it negated the need for land alteration techniques that caused erosion. Also, elevated buildings protected against storm surge, allowed for monitoring of termite damage and aided the structure’s cooling abilities. A variety of passive cooling techniques were employed to keep the buildings cool without conventional air conditioning. These techniques included: high- pitched ceilings; limited solid walls; airflow through screens; thin, white reflective roofs and wrap around porches that kept direct sun from main living areas. The site of each bungalow was methodically chosen to protect and enhance the surrounding ecosystems, while maintaining privacy and providing an optimum view of the water. Tiamo’s buildings were simple and efficient. By minimizing material usage in building design, Tiamo also minimized the need for importation of goods. A common sense approach of designing buildings around typical lumber cuts eliminated huge amounts of potential wood waste. The lumber used at Tiamo was a non-toxic pressure treated Douglas fir from sustainably harvested forests.
Construction
The construction of Tiamo utilized what many might consider in this day and age, some unorthodox or outdated methods of building. Clearing of the site was done surgically with machetes and chainsaws. This helped preserve and enhance the existing vegetation to the greatest extent. The movement of all materials to the site was done by hand using small shallow draft boats to prevent the construction of a road or dredging through pristine wildlife areas. All wood was precut in one area, relocated by hand to each building site and assembled with light power tools.
A proto-type building was constructed in Indiana prior to the ordering of materials in order to ensure the least possible waste during construction. All scrap materials were saved and used to make furniture and other items. The majority of construction was done utilizing electricity generated by the solar power system. The construction crew mainly consisted of local South Androsians. Up to twenty locals were employed at the height of construction, with only three non-Bahamians as part of the construction management team.
Operations
Most of the operations at Tiamo were clearly defined by our power systems, wastewater treatment systems, and the construction design as highlighted above. While all of these things were in place and functioning extremely well, each of these components had to be considered as we went about the business of providing a comfortable and unforgettable vacation experience.
Although we had an extremely large solar system, use of electricity had to be monitored and revised for maximum efficiency and additional uses (i.e. appliances, lighting, etc.). Our wastewater techniques required regular attention, but it was minimal when compared to conventional toilets and septic systems. Maintaining the composting toilets required adding bulking agent and aerating them by turning a handle three times a week. The filters in the grey water system were periodically cleaned to avoid clogging. Planning and forethought had to be exercised when performing other tasks around the resort. The sun’s role in providing hot water and a solar dryer had to be considered when timing laundry activities. We were also careful about ensuring the most efficient use of the kitchen hot water system, so that even the last wine glass of the night was properly washed using water heated by the sun that has long since set.
Solid Waste Disposal
Dealing with solid waste was truly one of the most challenging aspects of operating an earth-kind resort. Being located on a remote island like South Andros, with no recycling services or scheduled shipping to the United States, made our challenge even greater. We were continually looking for creative and cost effective means of dealing with waste and the following lists our processes:
Purchasing
This was the first and most effective method of dealing with solid waste. We tried as much as possible to purchase in bulk and considered packaging each time we made a purchase. Operating in South Andros presented an even greater challenge because of limited suppliers and shippers. We also purchased as much as possible from local suppliers, primarily fish and were beginning to grow our own produce and fruits for even greater environmental efficiency. Also, we refrained from buying products that were over-harvested such as grouper, conch, and lobster to increase awareness about the impact of taking too much.
For the office and specifically with paper, we bought recycled paper for general office use and banana fiber paper for our letterhead and correspondence. We also re-used all scrap paper, using the opposite side for the printer and note pads.
Composting
All food waste and weeded material were composted and recycled as fertilizer in our gardens.
Paper Waste
Many of the paper products and packaging that were not reusable were burned and the ashes were used for fertilizer.
Plastic
Plastic was our most challenging waste product. There was no means available to us for recycling so we had to become extremely creative. First, we tried to reuse plastic bottles, bowls, and containers whenever possible. The second step was our more creative one – we used our guests at Tiamo to complete our plastic recycling effort. Many of our guests lived in communities with recycling programs and were an important resource to our efforts. We neatly cleaned and packaged our plastic waste in convenient bundles for our guests to take back with them to their home recycling program. We solved a problem without needing additional resources − guests were flying back anyway and their communities already had an effective program in place. And by the way, that was where most of it came from anyway!
Metal Waste
Metal was an easier product to recycle. Any cans that we could have used again, we did. Aluminum cans were sent to a program in Nassau called Cans-For-Kids – they use the proceeds of the sales for children’s programs.
Glass
Glass, while easier than plastic to recycle, still presented some challenges. The biggest culprits on the island were beer bottles. Tiamo only purchased beer in bottles that were bought back by the brewer. This prevented a great deal of waste. We also found a creative short-term solution or glass recycling − any bottles that could not have been returned were crushed and used in place of gravel in our mixing of cement for the additional construction we were doing.
Other Waste
Unfortunately, and you probably have had the same problem in your household, there was a certain amount of waste that could not be recycled (i.e. plastic packaging, broken plastic products, oddball metal/plastic containers, etc.). If after all of our efforts to purchase effectively and reuse where possible, we had additional waste, it went to the community dump − an unfortunate fact of life.
There were many other little things that occurred at Tiamo in order to preserve its pristine setting. Interestingly, many of these little things (i.e. using four stroke boat engines, carefully planning boat runs for less fuel consumption, using the clothes line instead of the clothes dryer, using simple cleaners such as baking soda and soap instead of chemicals, etc.) actually saved money and made this a more effective business. Everyday we looked for better ways to do things, both as a business and as a guardian of South Andros's beautiful environment.
Marketing
Typical marketing processes often use large amounts of paper and fuel resources to get the word out to prospective customers. From the beginning Tiamo had almost exclusively used the paper free medium of the Internet to get the word out. Initially, we took advantage of the Internet to find our investors (nine out of ten of our investors were acquired as a result of the Tiamo web site). We printed a limited number of brochures (1,200 for use with the media) on 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Fortunately, the power of the Internet allowed us to present a great deal more information and photographs than a brochure could ever feasibly do.
Guest Education
Guest education was a critical aspect to our environmental efforts at Tiamo and was sometimes a tricky topic. We attracted people to South Andros and Tiamo because we offered an appealing and comfortable nature based vacation experience. No one likes to be forced to be “eco” and many are afraid of the specific connotation and that their comfort and ability to enjoy their hard earned vacation might perhaps be jeopardized. We knew that no comfort needed to be compromised in order to be earth-kind. In fact, it is our belief that those comforts were enhanced. For example, our guests often commented that they had slept better at Tiamo than they could readily remember. We believe this was because they were sleeping in the freshest air possible, instead of the normal “air-conditioned” environment (more appropriately defined as manufactured air).
How then did we take all of these aspects of our efforts and relate them to guests so that perhaps some of what we did could be duplicated elsewhere or even in their own daily lives? Our method had been to make it a part of the personalized service we specialized in at Tiamo – to make it an appealing part of your vacation with the subtle realization that these amazing technologies and simple forethoughts could easily be integrated into their daily life.
Community Involvement
This was a critical element for the true success of our efforts. No amount of environmental conservation effort is worthwhile if the support of the local community is not achieved. Tiamo utilized local labor and expertise in the construction of the resort to the greatest possible extent. Our staff was educated and trained in all of our efforts. As a requirement of employment, they had to agree to an environmental code of ethics as representatives of Tiamo. We encouraged them to participate in local community clean-up efforts and to try to implement some of the practices they used at work in their own homes.
The following are additional items that were undertaken by Tiamo to promote conservation and the improvement of the lives of South Androsians:
• Initiated a number of no-interest micro-community loans helping to implement several small business projects and home development projects
• Helped organize and assist island trash clean-up efforts
• Hosted kids camps teaching snorkeling and nature conservation
• Provided sponsorship of community festivals and school programs
• Encouraged scientists, sponsored by Tiamo, that study various aspects of the nature of South Andros, to utilize school children in their fieldwork and make presentations at the local high school on their studies.
Tiamo initiated a greater effort for local conservation and preservation of natural resources. We spearheaded, with the support of local community leaders and international scientific and conservation alliances, the creation of The Gibbon McKenzie Conservation Foundation. This foundation is in honor of a good friend and local naturalist who suffered a stroke and passed away at the age of 42 while doing what he loved, giving a tour of the South Andros Blue Holes. We continued his conservation efforts, with worldwide support and interaction, by creating a National Park that will preserve the diverse natural wonders of South Andros Island.
Other Accolades
2002 National Geographic Traveler and Conservation International World Legacy Award (Tiamo Resorts)
2002 The Caribbean Hotel Association American Express Green Hotel of the Year (Tiamo Resorts)
2002 British Airways Tourism For Tomorrow Highly Commended Winner (Tiamo Resorts)
2004 Islands Magazine/Caribbean Tourism Organization Sustainable Tourism Award (Tiamo Resorts)
2004 International Hotel and Restaurant Association Environmental Award Runner Up (Tiamo Resorts)
2005 World Travel + Tourism Council Tourism For Tomorrow Runner-Up (Tiamo Resorts)
2007 World Saver Award Conde Nast Traveler (Tiamo Resorts)
2008 Travel + Leisure Top Ten Green Hotels (Tiamo Resorts)
