SunEdison to Install and Service Photovoltaic System at Lihu’e Civic Center in Hawaii
Kaua’i County to save $18,315 in First Year of 20-Year Solar Energy Services Contract
Lihu, Hawaii and Beltsville, MD, Nov. 9. 2007
Source: SunEdison.com press release
http://www.sunedison.com/
SunEdison and the County of Kaua’i (Hawaii) today announced that they have entered into a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) to provide solar energy services at the county’s Līhu‘e Civic Center. SunEdison is North America’s largest solar energy services provider. Under the PPA, SunEdison will finance, install and maintain a 72 kW AC photovoltaic (PV) system on the roof of the Pi‘ikoi Building at the Līhu‘e Civic Center. The power produced by the system will be sold to the county under long-term predictably priced rates less than traditional retail electricity rates.
“In this type of agreement, the county doesn’t have to invest any money upfront, and we pay a lower, fixed price for electricity that’s not tied to volatile oil prices,” said Mayor Bryan Baptiste. “SunEdison builds and maintains the system. We get predictable energy pricing over the next two decades, plus SunEdison is always there to service the system.”
Mark Culpepper, Vice President and chief spokesperson for SunEdison, said, “SunEdison looks forward to meeting renewable energy needs for the Līhu‘e Civic Center. And we look forward to always being there to service the PV system for years to come.” During the first year of operation, the PV system is expected to produce 135,664 kWh, which would result in a savings of $18,315 to the county, based on the rate of $0.195 per kWH for PV power versus $0.33 per kWh (October 2007 rate) paid to Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative.
Savings in subsequent years will depend on the current rate of electricity from KIUC and how much kWh is produced by the system, taking into account that the price for the PV power will escalate two percent per year. “There are a number of other factors that will determine how much the county will actually save, such as potential demand savings, potential standby charges, and the price of oil,” said Glenn Sato, energy coordinator for the county.
In terms of impact to the environment, the PV system will significantly reduce greenhouse gas and carbon dioxide emissions. SunEdison estimates that 183,663 pounds of carbon dioxide, 658.8 pounds of sulfur dioxide, and 695.7 pounds of nitrous oxide will be prevented from polluting the air annually. “Over its 20-year lifespan, the system will stop the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that’s equivalent to the amount released by 267,000 cars driven annually over 5.3 million miles,” noted Sato.
Photovoltaic technology has come a long ways since it was first used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the late 1950s. Today’s PV systems are equipped with calibrated meters and monitoring devices so daily solar energy production can be viewed and billing is based on actual production. As a safeguard, SunEdison’s PV system will also have a remote monitoring system with automatic alarms so if a maintenance condition arises, company representatives will be able to respond immediately.
“We’re optimistic that the Līhu‘e Civic Center PV project will be successful and are looking at similar projects for other county facilities such as the police headquarters/civil defense building and some of our wastewater treatment plants,” said the mayor. “As a county, we need to continue to move towards energy self-sufficiency and reduce our dependency on the volatile oil market.”
About SunEdison
Sun Edison LLC is North America’s largest solar energy services provider. SunEdison provides solar-generated energy at or below current retail utility rates to a broad and diverse client base of commercial, municipal and utility customers. For more information about SunEdison, please visit www.sunedison.com. The company headquarters is located in Beltsville, Md.