A 3.5-acre rooftop solar installation at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland is now fully operational, adding 4,696 solar panels capable of generating nearly 3.4 million kilowatt-hours of renewable electricity per year — enough to power approximately 331 average U.S. homes annually. Activated in June 2026, the array has already produced roughly 495,316 kWh while avoiding an estimated 333 metric tons of CO₂ emissions in its initial months alone.
Energy Stack
The solar installation is designed to supply up to 20% of the resort's electrical load during peak production periods and offset up to 50% of electricity purchased from the local utility. It layers onto an existing combined heat and power (cogen) system that has been running since 2018, repurposing waste thermal energy for heating and collectively meeting more than 75% of the resort's total energy needs. Together, these two on-site generation systems give the property substantial insulation from grid volatility — a model that large convention and hospitality operators are increasingly pursuing as utility costs and carbon-reporting requirements tighten.
For foodservice and facilities directors overseeing back-of-house operations at properties of this scale, that kind of integrated generation capacity has direct implications: kitchen loads — cooking, refrigeration, HVAC, ventilation — represent a significant share of a full-service resort's electrical draw. On-site renewable generation that offsets grid purchases can meaningfully reduce operating costs for energy-intensive kitchen equipment fleets. Operators specifying high-draw assets such as combi ovens, blast chillers, or high-temp rack conveyor warewashers benefit when the facility's baseload cost structure is stabilized through on-site generation. Our energy-and-sustainability coverage has tracked how large foodservice operators are increasingly integrating renewables into facility master plans to hedge against utility rate escalation.
Scale and Partners
Owned by Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. and operated by Marriott International, Gaylord National encompasses nearly 2,000 guest rooms, 600,000 square feet of meeting space, and multiple full-service restaurant and bar outlets. Solar development and implementation was handled by REV Energy Ventures. With inverters now fully operational, the system is projected to avoid 2,285 metric tons of CO₂ emissions annually, based on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency methodology.
"By generating electricity on-site, capturing thermal energy that would otherwise be wasted and continuously monitoring our building systems, we are able to operate more efficiently," said Derek Brauner, director of engineering at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center. "The solar array is another important component of a broader resort-wide strategy focused on energy efficiency, resource conservation and long-term sustainability."
The resort's sustainability footprint extends into food operations as well: the property partners with the Food Recovery Network to donate surplus prepared food, contributing more than 115,000 pounds to date and providing approximately 30,000 meals annually to local hunger-fighting organizations. Additional initiatives include an on-site herb garden, rooftop beehives, single-stream recycling, and the recycling of up to 170,000 pounds of cardboard each month. Commissary and ghost kitchen operators pursuing similar energy-and-sustainability strategies should watch how large-format hospitality properties build the case for capital investment in on-site generation — the payback math at 3.4 million kWh per year at commercial utility rates is compelling.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
