Conservation in Action: Fota Wildlife Park Cuts Electricity Costs by 23% with Huawei Solar

Fota Wildlife Park is a conservation charity and part of the Zoological Society of Ireland. It sits on 100 acres on Fota Island in Co. Cork and is home to over 100 species of animals and 21 species of birds. Many of them are increasingly vulnerable to climate change and habitat loss, so the park treats sustainability as a core principle in everything it does.

As part of its move towards carbon neutrality, Fota worked with installer PV Generation to design, install and commission a 239kWp solar system with 90kWh of battery storage, supported by four Huawei inverters. The project was co-funded by the Office of Public Works. Over 1,100m² of solar panels now cover six roofs across the park. They provide renewable energy for the administration buildings, entrance kiosk, souvenir shop, the education, conservation and research centre, and the giraffe house.

Installing 538 panels at a working wildlife park took careful planning. The main equipment was installed in under three weeks. Scaffolding was put up in stages, and electrical shutdowns were planned with staff, so visitors, daily operations and the animals were not disturbed.

The results:

• 23% saved on electricity costs in 2025
• 120MWh of clean electricity generated each year
• 74 tonnes of CO₂ avoided each year
• Enough energy to power the equivalent of 29 homes each year

Fota welcomes 430,000 visitors every year and hopes they will take inspiration from its sustainability journey. Watch the video to see how smart solar is helping protect wildlife and build a brighter, more sustainable future.