Hawaii's public schools to go solar under DOEd plan - report

Nov 1, 2012 - All public schools in Hawaii may have solar panels installed over the coming five years under a proposal of the Department of Education (DOEd), the Honolulu Star-Advertiser said on Wednesday.

The DOEd calculates that its annual electricity bill could drop by USD 5 million (EUR 4m) in the first year of the project's implementation. Within five years, the DOEd's electricity spending is expected to have halved.

The DOEd plans to sign a 20-year power purchase agreement with a vendor, to be chosen by the end of the school year. The vendor is to install photovoltaic modules at all 256 schools in Hawaii over the first five years of the agreement. The DOEd expects to incur little or no upfront costs, while also buying the electricity from the vendor at a reduced rate. In addition, in view of the scope of the project, it is also expected to produce excess power which would be sold and bring revenue for the state.

The project will help the DOEd achieve its target of using 90% of clean power by 2040, Ray L'Heureux, DOEd assistant superintendent for facilities and support services was quoted as saying. He added the DOEd had already discussed its plan with the Public Utilities Commission and would soon talk with Hawaiian Electric Co.

(USD 1.0 = EUR 0.772)

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