Hawaiian Electrical and Ho’āhu Power Cooperative Molokai are shifting ahead with the primary two community-owned and designed photo voltaic + storage initiatives. These initiatives will meet over 20% of Molokai’s vitality wants and serve roughly 1,500 houses on the island. The Ho’āhu Neighborhood-Based mostly Renewable Power Initiatives, Pālā’au Photo voltaic and Kualapu’u Photo voltaic, are the primary on the island to supply a shared photo voltaic program (also referred to as community-based renewable vitality or CBRE) to assist decrease the electrical energy payments for Molokai prospects who can not set up personal rooftop photo voltaic.
After finishing a aggressive bidding analysis course of, which accounted for the price of the initiatives in addition to non-price elements together with group outreach, Ho’āhu and Hawaiian Electrical entered into negotiations. As soon as the 20-year contracts are negotiated, Hawaiian Electrical and Ho’āhu will submit two functions for approval to the Public Utilities Fee.
Hoʻāhu Power Cooperative Molokai is a volunteer, grassroots nonprofit group fashioned in 2020 by Molokai group advocates to allow island residents to design and personal renewable vitality initiatives constructed on Molokai.
Dedicated to vitality democracy, Hoʻāhu has spent three years internet hosting greater than 40 public workshops for Molokai residents to co-design group photo voltaic initiatives, from web site discovering and subscriber profit design to contractor interviews and evaluation of varied battery vitality storage methods.
Pālā’au Photo voltaic can present as much as 2.2 MW of photo voltaic vitality mixed with a ten.1 megawatt-hour battery vitality storage system. The challenge shall be positioned on property owned by Hawaiian Electrical, adjoining to the corporate’s Pālā’au Baseyard.
Kualapu’u Photo voltaic can present as much as 0.25 MW paired with a 1 MWh battery. The challenge shall be positioned on the Kualapu’u Park and Neighborhood Heart with the challenge’s photo voltaic array mounted on carport constructions above the present parking zone.
“These two initiatives are the best factor to do for Hawai’i and our planet,” mentioned Todd Yamashita, president of Hoʻāhu. “It would present entry to renewables for many who want it most. Molokai renters are ignored and might’t set up photo voltaic panels. The photo voltaic group says, ‘Allow us to construct a photo voltaic farm for you within the subject, and the vitality we get and the revenue we get shall be straight credited to your invoice and the invoice of different members of the vitality cooperative.’
After the Ho’āhu initiatives are authorized and accessible on Hawaiian Electrical’s CBRE Portal, Molokai prospects will develop into subscribers to one of many services. As soon as the initiatives are constructed and on-line, subscribers will obtain a credit score on their month-to-month electrical energy invoice based mostly on their stage of participation.
“We stay up for working additional with Ho’āhu Power Cooperative Molokai and their companions to convey these community-based shared photo voltaic initiatives on-line,” mentioned Rebecca Dayhuff Matsushima, vice chairman of useful resource procurement for Hawaiian Electrical. “Each initiatives will assist our Molokai prospects scale back their vitality payments and additional scale back our carbon footprint in producing energy to satisfy the island’s vitality wants.”
In November 2021, the request for proposals opens for builders, firms, organizations or teams to develop into “subscriber organizations” in shared photo voltaic initiatives for Molokai prospects. The 2 Molokai shared photo voltaic initiatives are anticipated to be on-line by mid-2025.
“When Act 100 was handed in 2015 the intent was to make sure that the advantages of renewable vitality era turned extra accessible to extra residents who is probably not straight concerned in renewable vitality manufacturing. The CBRE program did that and I happy with my residence group of Molokai to have the chance to take part by way of the Hoʻāhu Power Cooperative,” mentioned Sen. Lynn DeCoite. “These initiatives are promising steps towards a sustainable energy-friendly future island.”
Hoʻāhu enlisted the help of Shake Power Collaborative, a Honolulu-based, women-owned public profit company, to facilitate the design and growth of community-led initiatives. Hoʻāhu additionally chosen Maui-based profit company Mana Pacific to help the technical growth of the initiatives. Many contractors and companions additionally contributed to the success of the cooperative together with Kohala Heart, Morikawa and Associates, Brilliant Future Consulting, Orrick, X Utility and Arizona State College.
Hoʻāhu’s group possession is made potential by way of the help of mission-aligned funding companions together with The Folks’s Photo voltaic Power Fund, Hawaii Inexperienced Infrastructure Authority, Inclusive Prosperity Capital, Ulupono Initiative, all of which supplied funds or letters of intent. within the challenge.
Information from Hoʻāhu Power Cooperative Molokai
