Contrary to what the overcast skies of February and March would have you believe, there’s an abundance of sunshine in Hawai’i that makes solar power an obvious source of renewable energy for residents to tap into. The U.S. Department of Energy counts Hawai’i among the five best markets for photovoltaic systems in the United States. According to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, the county of Hawai’i has thousands of PV systems, more than any comparable area in the nation.

While the buy-in cost is high (and often prohibitive), the long-term savings are considerable, not to mention the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’re saving tons of nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide emissions–contributors to smog, acid rain and global warming–from polluting the air. Rebates from the electric company along with the 35% state tax credit and 30% federal tax credit on solar electric systems don’t hurt, either, as 70,000 Hawai’i households with solar water heaters–more per capita than any other state–can attest to.

Businesses and public institutions are also looking for commercial-scale solutions to the rising cost of fossil fuels, the limited supply and regulatory pressure. The commitment to solar will become an economic imperative as utility costs continue to soar. Between 1990 and 2004, Hawaiian Electric’s average utility rates rose 67%. Projections forecasted by the Hawaiian Electric Light Company estimate that the cost of a barrel of medium sulfur oil on the Big Island will jump from $34 a barrel in 2004 to $105 a barrel in 2025. Similarly, diesel fuel on the Big Island will skyrocket from $57 a barrel in 2004 to $147 a barrel in 2025.

The state has mandated that 20 percent of Hawai’i’s electricity is to be generated from renewable resources by the end of 2020. To that end, more and more institutions are installing solar photovoltaic systems. Hawaiian Electric Company’s ‘Sun Power for Schools’ program has brought solar electric installations to 21 Hawai’i public schools that have pledged to develop a renewable energy curriculum. Here are some of the biggest sun-kissed endeavors in the state.

1 In spite of its unremarkable name, Hangar 54 at Ford Island in Pearl Harbor holds the distinction of carrying on its roof the largest federal photovoltaic system in Hawai’i. The 309-kilowatt PowerLight PowerGuard solar electric rooftop system, made up of 1,545 solar panels made by Sharp Corporation, was installed last October and covers 31,000 square feet of roof space. The solar power collected from the system–the same amount of energy that would power 300 homes–feeds the U.S. Navy’s electrical grid at Pearl Harbor and is expected to save the Navy an estimated $40,000 a year.

2 The 225,000-acre Parker Ranch on the Big Island boasts the world’s largest hybrid solar/wind power system. With 476 photovoltaic modules and five wind turbines, the apparatus covers two acres of land and generates 175 kilowatts of photovoltaic power and 50 kilowatts of wind power–enough to run the pumps that deliver drinking water to all the livestock in the Mauna Kea, Mana and Keamuku grazing areas. The PowerLight PowerTracker ground-mounted power array allows the solar panels to rotate and follow the sun as it moves westward across the sky in order to generate the maximum energy possible–29% more than a stationary grid. It’s estimated that this project will produce the same energy over its 25-year lifetime that would otherwise come from 70,000 barrels of imported oil.

3 Who soaks up the most sunshine on Maui? Would you have guessed a car dealership, a linen supplier and a boutique hotel? Maui’s largest solar electric system–photovoltaic cells pumping out 52.2 kilowatts of power -belongs to Island Dodge in Kahului. Maui Linen Supply in Wailuku comes in a near second with a system that produces 50 kilowatts, and the Makai Inn in Lahaina is third with a 19.6-kilowatt system.

4 On Kaua’i, the largest solar electric system honor belongs to King Auto Center with a 156-panel, 25-kilowatt setup. The system is hooked up to the island’s power grid run by Kaua’i Island Utility Coop, which buys any excess power produced by the PV cells that the dealership doesn’t need.

All these photovoltaic systems are designed by ProVision Technologies in Hilo. ProVision president Marco Mangelsdorf, who has been working on renewable energy systems for 28 years, explains why it makes sense for businesses to go solar. One, we have some of the highest utility rates in the country; two, we have abundant sunshine; and three, the additive tax credits–30 percent federal and 35 percent state–would cover two-thirds of the cost of the system. An out-of-pocket purchase could achieve 100 percent payback within three years. ‘The economics of going solar electric for businesses in Hawai’i has never been better,’ he says.

5 In 1998, the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows on the Big Island’s Kohala Coast became the first hotel in Hawai’i to install a rooftop solar photovoltaic system. By 2003, they had expanded to seven systems that altogether generate 674 kilowatts of solar electric power, making Mauna Lani the largest solar-powered resort in the world. Besides the rooftop systems, the resort also has 162 solar-powered golf carts (which saves the energy recharging equivalent of 12 barrels of oil or 2,200 pounds of coal over each cart’s lifetime) and a solar-powered Watsu massage spa (the only one in the world). According to system manufacturer Powerlight, over the next 30 years the environmental savings will amount to the equivalent of planting more than one million trees or removing 4,500 cars from the roadways.

Blown away
States largest wind farm set to open
The final pieces of equipment arrived last month to complete the 20 wind towers at what will be the state’s largest wind farm.
‘All the pieces are now here, and the towers are going up,’ says LuAnn Yap, a spokesperson for the Kaheawa Wind Farm on Maui.
The 180-foot towers, with 1.5 megawatt General Electric turbines, will produce about 30-megawatts of electricity, or about nine percent of Maui’s energy use. The Kaheawa Farm in West Maui will sell its energy to Maui Electric.
The farm is a joint project between a Boston-based company, UPC Wind, which owns 51 percent of the development, and Makani Nui Associates, a local company that owns the remaining 49 percent. Consumers may eventually see a reduction in their energy bills, but no one is yet projecting actual savings.
The project’s ‘commissioning’ date, which was scheduled earlier this month (April 6), has been pushed back to May 15.