Nov 9 2010
Construction of a 5 MW capacity MicroCSP facility named the Kalaeloa Solar One project, a venture between the State of Hawaii, Keahole Solar Power, and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, commenced on October 27, 2010.
Sopogy, a major player in micro Concentrated Solar Power technology (MicroCSP), has been named as a supplier of solar thermal collectors for the facility located in the Kalaeloa district of Oahu, which is tagged as the huge CSP project in the Hawaii region.
MicroCSP technology’s salient features are low cost and high effectiveness, which make the technology very efficient on towers or ground installations to deliver heat, cooling and electricity. The CSP plants’ backing and storage capabilities are providing backup for short-term fluctuations for the grid at night or at overcast conditions.
Kaulana Park, the chairman of the Hawaiian Homes Commission commented that the project has paved the way to contribute to the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, which initiates renewable energy production to meet 70% of the energy demand of the Hawaii region by 2030. The facility will distribute green energy for Hawaii and supply to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands with rent taxes. The amount generated from the rent taxes will be used in local community activities such as finance educational programs and to construct houses.