In front of local politicians and dignitaries, REC Solar celebrated the official completion and commissioning of a 1.21 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) installation, the largest system of its kind in the state of Hawaii and the first of its kind for Kaua'i. Project partners Kaua'i Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) and Kapa'a Solar LLC, who financed the system and negotiated a power purchased agreement (PPA) with KIUC, joined REC Solar at the ceremony.

5,376 225 watt Peak Energy-Series modules

REC Solar designed, procured, and managed the installation of the 1.21 MW ground mounted photovoltaic system. The project was sighted on 5 acres of non-productive agricultural land located above old Kapa'a Town on the windward side of Kaua'i. The solar power plant was designed with four 250 kW "Advanced Energy Solaron" Inverters and is powered by 5,376 REC Group 225 watt Peak Energy (PE)-Series modules.

This project was expedited with contracting in August, design in September, procurement in October and construction in November and December 2010. REC Solar utilized its proprietary "SnapNrack" fixed-tilt racking that boasts extremely thick galvanization to combat the island environment’s corrosive components. The inverters 480Vac output is stepped up with a single 1 MW transformer and interconnected directly to the utility’s 12.8kV distribution lines.

Holo Holo 2020 vision

“Creating more renewable energy alternatives is one of the most critical challenges we face. In my Holo Holo 2020 vision, renewable energy has been incorporated in our homes our businesses and our utility to the greatest extent possible,” said Bernard Carvalho, mayor of the island of Kaua'i. “I applaud Kapa'a Solar and KIUC for forging this great partnership and demonstrating that renewable energy can and will work for Kaua'i.”

An important step forward for the island of Kaua'i and the state Hawai'i

“With ample sunshine and aggressive renewable energy goals, Hawai'i is poised to emerge as a leading market for solar energy generation. The commissioning of the system today marks an important step forward for the island of Kaua'i and the state,” said Angiolo Laviziano, CEO of REC Solar. “Our unparalleled experience in solar system design and integration makes REC Solar ideally suited to partner with forward-thinking utilities like KIUC and bring utility-scale projects online statewide.”

2011-02-14| Courtesy: REC Solar, Inc. | solarserver.com © Heindl Server GmbH

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