Hoku Solar was selected by the Hawaii State Department of Transportation to install more than 900 kilowatts of solar power systems at seven different locations throughout the State:

• Lihue Airport, Kauai (Terminal building) – 338 kilowatts
• Kona International Airport at Keahole, Hawaii Island (Cargo building) – 61 kilowatts
• Hilo International Airport, Hawaii Island (Terminal building) – 111 kilowatts
• Kahului Airport, Maui (ASAP / Cargo building) – 327 kilowatts
• Kahului Airport, Maui (T-hangar) – 42 kilowatts
• DOT, Highways Division Baseyard, Lihue, Kauai – 15 kilowatts
• DOT, Harbors Division, Nawiliwili Harbor (Admin building) – 7 kilowatts

Together, these systems are expected to produce more than 1.2 million kilowatt-hours of clean, solar energy each year – enough to power up to 150 homes!

Under the terms of the Power Purchase Agreements negotiated by HDOT, Hoku and other investors provided funding for the project, and Hoku Solar is performing all system operations and maintenance responsibilities. In exchange, the Department of Transportation has agreed to purchase energy at pre-negotiated rates for a period of 20 years.

These long-term agreements allow the Department of Transportation to enjoy the benefits of solar energy with no upfront cost. The arrangement also helps stabilizes HDOT operating costs by acting as a hedge against future increases in the cost of electricity.

In the event that a site produces more power than its electrical usage, the excess power is automatically sold to the electric utility for use elsewhere in the grid. This revenue is, in turn, used to offset the electrical rates charged to the State in the PPA.

Funding for the project was provided by Hoku Solar and United Fund Advisors through its renewable energy fund with U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corporation. Sennet Capital of Honolulu arranged and structured the financing for the project.

Over their 20-year lifetime, the solar power systems are expected to produce more than 20 million kilowatt-hours of clean solar power and offset more than 12,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions – the equivalent of removing more than 1,400 cars from the road.