PUHI — A team from R Electric team wasn’t deterred by cloudy weather while installing two solar-powered lighting fixtures at the Grove Farm employee parking lot yesterday.
Kalei Van Gieson, an R Electric employee, said the solar panels and fixtures were attached to composite poles made of a concrete-fiber material, as opposed to the more common metal poles.
Van Gieson, who was part of the crew working on the Vidinha Stadium lighting system, said more and more companies are going solar in an attempt at reducing electrical bills.
He noted that Paradise Beverages just completed installation of a solar system, which covers most of its roof.
“The one going in the Grove Farm parking lot is solar-powered, and in combination with a timer, should save them money in electrical bills,” Van Gieson said.
The materials for the solar-powered lighting system was obtained through SEPCO Solar Power Electric Co., Sandblom said.
But the photovoltaics aren’t the only green element to the lot next to the Puhi office building.
“Our Grove Farm employee parking lot is the first in the state to utilize pervious concrete,” said Marissa Sandblom, Grove Farm’s vice president, via e-mail. “Pervious concrete is similar to regular concrete in terms of its ‘ingredients,’ but is used in different proportions to come up with the mixture.”
The final mixture creates a permeable surface for water to flow through and percolate into the ground, Sandblom said. This gives it the unique ability to recharge groundwater while reducing storm water runoff.
Another benefit of pervious concrete is its ability to reduce the level of pollution in storm water resulting from automotive leaks. The pervious concrete allows the first flush, which contains most of the contaminants, to percolate into the ground.
While the access road to the parking lot had running water flowing from the early morning showers, the lot itself was devoid of the familiar puddles that follow rain.
Pervious concrete has been used primarily for parking lots, low traffic pavements and pedestrian walkways. Additionally, it is thermally insulating in buildings and has good acoustical properties.
Kaua‘i Builders and Wayne Kawano of Cement & Concrete Products Industry of Hawai‘i helped Grove Farm with the parking lot.
