Keeping with Hawaiian tradition, site blessings are often held before the commencement of construction to ask heavenly powers for assistance and guidance. Native Hawaiians traditionally blessed new homes, canoes, and other property of critical importance in their lives; it is this tradition that continues today. For this solar project, Kahu Kaina encouraged the implementation of three guiding principles: lokahi, or unity; laulima, or cooperation and pulling together; and kuleana, or ownership with responsibility. Kahu Kaina eloquently shared Native Hawaiian insight and inspired all in attendance to build upon the principles with a foundational spirit of Aloha. In the ceremony, key participants used `o`o sticks—a traditional Hawaiian farming tool—to break the ground, signifying a new purpose for the land.
Hunt Companies and Scatec Solar North America, Inc. began developing the concept of the solar park in 2009. Hanwha SolarEnergy America (Hanwha) joined the project in 2012 to provide financing and modules. Swinerton Builders will serve as contractor for the project, which will be built on 20 acres of leased U.S. Navy land.
The 5MW, utility-scale solar park will be comprised of 21,000 photovoltaic (PV) panels and will generate power equivalent to the amount needed by 1,000 homes over one year. Based on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates, it will produce enough renewable power to prevent nearly 11,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. This is equivalent to removing nearly 38,000 cars from Hawai'i’s roads over the 20-year term of the agreement.
“We are elated to see the Kalaeloa Renewable Energy Park project mark this monumental occasion,” said Steve Colón, president of Hunt’s Hawai'i development division. “We are firmly committed to environmental stewardship and reduction of our state’s dependency on imported fossil fuels for the future of our community.”
Swinerton Builders, currently celebrating its 125th anniversary, has a long history as one of the oldest general contractors in Hawai'i. “We pride ourselves on our strong reputation with our customers and look forward to contributing our solar installation and operations expertise to benefit this project,” said Swinerton’s Division Manager and Vice President George Ehara. “We are truly pleased to be part of this project in Hawai'i, and we look to build on the experience of our renewable energy division here in the islands.”
"Hanwha SolarEnergy America is pleased to work together with its partners to develop one of Hawai'i's largest solar energy generation facilities. The facility benefits the community and advances the state in obtaining its aggressive renewable energy goals," stated Laurence Greene, Director of Public Policy for Hanwha SolarEnergy America.
Luigi Resta, CEO of Scatec Solar, added, “In Hawai'i, utility-scale projects like the Kalaeloa Renewable Energy Park provide direct benefits to all ratepayers through clean and low cost energy. The blessing reminds all community members of the rich and abundant renewable energy resources that the great state of Hawai'i is fortunate to have.”
Environmental assessment approval was received from the Commander, Navy Region Hawai'i, in January.
The Kalaeloa Renewable Energy Park is scheduled for completion in mid-2013. Hanwha will operate the facility for a 20-year period.
About Hunt Companies, Inc.
Founded in 1947 and operating in Hawai'i since 1991, Hunt Companies, Inc. is a leading national real estate company dedicated to building values through development, investment, and management. Hunt is focused in the core areas of public–private partnership, military housing, community development, real asset investment management, and multifamily housing. Hunt and its affiliates have $13 billion of assets under management.
Hunt’s Hawai'i Division has been active in the state for more than two decades. The company has long been recognized for its innovative use of underutilized military properties, particularly those governed by complex land agreements, as well as its commitment to creating premier master-planned communities that complement the cultural and geographic riches of the Hawaiian Islands. Hunt’s Hawai'i Division has built 4,259 new properties and renovated 2,275 homes for Hawai'i’s military families and is responsible for the ongoing management of more than 2,000 acres—including 1,500 homes and 1 million square feet of industrial space. Projects include the Ford Island Master Development Agreement, Kalaeloa; The Waterfront at Pu‘uloa; Waikele; Ke Kailani and Palamanui on the Big Island; and Kilauea Lighthouse Village on Kauai.
About Scatec Solar North America
Scatec Solar North America, a wholly owned subsidiary of Scatec Solar AS, is located in Sausalito, CA, and focuses on the development of commercial- and utility-scale solar power projects. Scatec Solar AS, headquartered in Oslo, Norway, was formed in 2007 and is an established global developer of ground-mount and commercial rooftop PV solar energy solutions. Scatec Solar deploys the best available technologies to develop PV systems and has the capability to handle all aspects of each project, from securing permitting rights to the final commissioning and operations. Scatec Solar has established its Competence Center in Regensburg, Germany. The Company is the first turnkey PV supplier with triple ISO certification for quality, environment, and health. This full client service includes project development; structuring equity and long-term debt financing; turnkey construction; engineering, procurement, and construction; power purchase agreement contracting; and operations and maintenance capabilities. Scatec Solar has built a rapidly growing track record of more than 190MW best-in-class PV installations by targeting regions – Europe, USA, India, China, and South Africa.
About Hanwha SolarEnergy America
Hanwha SolarEnergy America (HSEA) is a leading provider of solar system integration and solar power generation services for the North American commercial, utility, education, and agriculture markets. Based in Irvine, CA, the company has additional locations in San Francisco, CA; Tulare, CA; Philadelphia, PA; and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Founded in 2006 and with nearly 40 employees, HSEA has a pipeline of nearly 1.5GW of capacity in the United States. As a partner of Hanwha SolarEnergy, part of the Hanwha Group, an $80 billion conglomerate based in South Korea, HSEA offers end-to-end development solutions including financing, engineering, procurement, construction, and operations and maintenance services.
About Swinerton
Swinerton Renewable Energy offers turnkey solar power solutions for utility scale and distributed generation projects with over 3GW of power generation and solar expertise. In addition to standard engineering, procurement, and construction services, Swinerton provides unique value by offering warranty wraps, performance monitoring, and production generation guarantees to benefit their customers’ financial security. Swinerton has built over 200MWdc of solar PV projects since 200, and is contracted to construct over 400MWdc and to operate over 600MWdc .The Swinerton Family of Companies provides commercial construction and construction management services throughout the Western United States, and is a 100% employee-owned company. Recognized nationally since 1888, Swinerton is the preferred builder and trusted partner in every market they serve—proudly leading with integrity, passion, and excellence. For more information on Swinerton, visit their blog SwinertonBuildsTomorrow, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and LinkedIn.
More information:
Brenda Christman
Hunt Companies, Inc.
(808) 792-3753
Jill Dimaio
Scatec Solar
(415) 332-7762
Amy Mehta
Hanwha SolarEnergy America
(949) 748-5996
Deborah Sharkey
Makana Communications
(808) 349-8221
Elaine Wood
Swinerton Renewable Energy
(303) 253-4848
