LIHU‘E – In its quest to becoming increasingly energy self-sufficient, the county has hired a local company to install a photovoltaic system on the roof of the Pi‘ikoi Building at the Lihu’e Civic Center. Solar Engineering and Contracting was recently
LIHU‘E – In its quest to becoming increasingly energy self-sufficient, the county has hired a local company to install a photovoltaic system on the roof of the Pi‘ikoi Building at the Lihu’e Civic Center.
Solar Engineering and Contracting was recently awarded a $379,000 contract to supply and install an 85 kilowatt photovoltaic system, which includes a rooftop solar array, a single inverter, and related electrical metering and safety equipment.
The project, which recently began, is expected to be completed by the end of April.
“One of our Holo Holo 2020 initiatives is to incorporate as much renewable energy into county facilities as possible, so we are very excited about the start of another PV project,” said Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. in a news release, noting that the PV projects at the Kaiakea fire station and the Waimea Wastewater Treatment Facility are also under way.
“This is a great opportunity for a locally owned company and I am really looking forward to working on this project,” said Paul Lucas, owner of Solar Engineering and Contracting. “Renewable energy is not only good for the environment, but it’s also creating jobs for Kaua‘i residents. As a small business owner on Kaua‘i, I’m very excited about this opportunity and hopefully more to come in the future.”
Based on the National Renewable Energy Lab’s PV watts calculator, the PV system that will be installed atop the Pi‘ikoi Building is expected to produce 114,135 kilowatts annually. At the February utility rate of 36 cents, the energy generated by the system would result in a yearly savings of $41,238 to the county and ultimately taxpayers.
Savings in subsequent years will depend on the current rate of electricity from Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative, how many kilowatts are produced by the system and related demand savings.
The system will also enable the county to change the PV production to environmental attributes also known as carbon avoidance, and have an alarm function to alert the county when the efficiency is lower than expected. This information will be accessible via the Lihu‘e Civic Center local area network and the county website for public access.
Incorporating renewable energy into county facilities to the greatest extent possible is one of 38 projects that are part of Carvalho’s Holo Holo 2020 vision for Kaua‘i, a press release states.
