LIHU‘E — Renovations to the Kaua‘i Bus administration building resulted in the county receiving a rebate for $11,483.50 from the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative, Wednesday morning. The rebate came as a result of the county purchasing a Mitsubishi PLA-A18-BA air
LIHU‘E — Renovations to the Kaua‘i Bus administration building resulted in the county receiving a rebate for $11,483.50 from the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative, Wednesday morning.
The rebate came as a result of the county purchasing a Mitsubishi PLA-A18-BA air conditioning unit and its matching air-cooled condenser PUY-A18NHA for a purchase price of $22,967, both considered energy efficient items in the industry.
Officials expect the investment to pay for itself within three years due to an anticipated 20 percent reduction in kilowatt hours, annually, states a county release.
“We are very pleased that our Transportation Agency worked closely with KIUC in determining the appropriately-sized air conditioning unit for their space,” said Kaua‘i Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. “This enabled the agency to then select a highly-efficient air conditioner from KIUC’s trade ally listing that met the needs of the agency and resulted in a tremendous savings to the county.”
Paul Daniels, commercial energy services specialist with KIUC, presented the rebate check to Carvalho and Janine Rapozo, county transportation executive, Wednesday morning.
“It’s always a pleasure for KIUC to assist our customers with identifying energy-saving measures that also provide them with cost-saving opportunities,” said Daniels. “I invite any commercial account that is thinking about replacing its existing AC system to call us about our Energy Wise Energy Efficiency Program.”
Rapozo said the air conditioning unit was procured as part of the Transportation Department’s renovations that were done to accommodate an expanding staff as well as prepare for the July 1 opening when the public will be able to purchase bus passes from the Kaua‘i Bus offices.
Currently, monthly bus passes can only be purchased at the Lihu‘e Civic Center at the Motor Vehicle Registration window between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Mondays through Fridays.
On July 1, the public will have the option of buying a one- or six-month, or an annual bus pass at The Kaua‘i Bus offices located on Ho‘olako Street across from the Kaua‘i Police Department headquarters. Passes will be available for sale, Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“What we’ve done is maximize the use of our space,” Rapozo said. “Over the last five years, our staff has grown so we needed to make a few changes to our building to accommodate everyone.”
Those renovations included the reduction of the lobby area and the construction of interior walls to create a comfortable space for the dispatchers to use as a base of operations, modifications to bring the building into Americans of Disabilities Act compliance, and the reduction of an existing patio to accommodate a storage closet.
For more information on The Kaua‘i Bus, visit the county’s Web site at www.kauai.gov
