LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i will soon have three solar facilities under construction or in development. Once operational, the latest $40 million facility is expected to generate 12 megawatts of solar power per day. This will provide about 6 percent of the
LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i will soon have three solar facilities under construction or in development.
Once operational, the latest $40 million facility is expected to generate 12 megawatts of solar power per day. This will provide about 6 percent of the daily energy needs for the island, according to a press release from Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative.
This addition means there are three photovoltaic plants being built on Kaua‘i in 2013 and will be operational by the end of 2014.
The three facilities combined — including a 6-megawatt station at Port Allen and a 12-megawatt station at Anahola — stand to generate 30 megawatts of solar power daily. This is enough energy to meet about half of Kaua‘i’s daytime electrical demand.
“Being energy self-sufficient is the primary goal of our Kaua‘i Energy Sustainability Plan and drives many of the projects in my Holo Holo 2020 vision,” Mayor Bernard Carvalho, Jr. said via email about the project being developed through a KIUC subsidiary, thus qualifying it for state and federal tax credits. “KIUC is starting to make big strides toward renewables, and we appreciate the many partnerships that they are forging to lead us closer and closer to that important goal.”
The project means Kaua‘i will have the highest percentage of solar photovoltaic projects of any utility in the United States.
“This is a huge step toward achieving our goal of using renewable resources to generate at least half of our power needs by 2023,” Teofilo “Phil” Tacbian, chairman of the board of directors of KIUC said in a press release. “Using the power of the sun instead of fossil fuel will annually replace about 1.7 million gallons of imported oil.”
The new facility will consist of 54,314 solar panels situated on 67 acres near Koloa on land to be leased from Grove Farm Company.
“We have invested a lot of time, energy and money to create renewable energy opportunities across our lands to help move our island off its dependence on fossil fuels,” Senior Vice President of Grove Farm Michael H. Tresler said in an email. Grove Farm was selected after a proposal determined the company would be able to provide a cost-effective project with the least environmental impact.
Once regulatory approvals are reached with the county and state, construction is scheduled to start in July 2013 with the facility operational by the end of 2014. SolarCity will be in charge of constructing the facility and expects to hire about 125 construction workers during the building process. SolarCity, a national company specializing in clean energy services, has offices on O‘ahu.
“This is a landmark project for SolarCity and the island of Kaua‘i, which will reduce its oil imports by more than 1 million barrels over its lifetime,” Jon Yoshimura, SolarCity’s director of government affairs said in a release. “With its goal to generate 50 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2023, KIUC is setting an example for utilities across the nation.”
The station will be adjacent to KIUC’s existing Koloa substation between the Koloa Bypass Road and the old Koloa Mill, where a 1.5-megawatt battery storage system is already in use and a second battery storage unit is planned. This will reduce connection costs.
“These projects underscore KIUC’s leadership in the solar arena and our commitment to renewable energy,” KIUC President and CEO David Bissell said in a release. “The work we’re doing today means KIUC members and their children will benefit for the next two decades from clean, renewable solar energy at a fixed price not tied to oil.”
• Laurie Cicotello, business writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 257) or business@thegardenisland.com.
