Hawaiian Charter School Offsets 30,000 kWh Annually With Solar

Located in Keaʻau, on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi, is a Hawaiian language immersion charter school, called Ke Kula ‘o Nāwahīokalani’ōpu’u Iki LPCS, a Lab Public Charter School managed by University of Hawaiʻi (the collaborating university) – Nāwahī for short. The school is comprised of families, teachers and staff who have chosen to speak Hawaiian as the first and main language of the home.  Nāwahī provides an environment that embraces culturally rooted principles of spirituality, love, knowledge and respect for the environment.

Respecting the Environment
Keeping with these principles, the school engaged local solar experts at ProVision Solar to move toward a sustainable way to generate energy – they chose solar power.

While their system was to be grid-tied, a Tesla battery back up system comprised of 3 Tesla Powerwalls, each with 13.5kWh of energy storage, was also installed. “With the addition of the Tesla Powerwall energy storage system, the school can use more solar energy onsite and have backup power in the event that the grid goes down,” states Marco Mangelsodorf, President ProVision Solar.

Battery Storage – Makes Good Financial Sense
Having batteries installed on a solar array in Hawaiʻi makes good financial sense because electricity in Hawaiʻi is very expensive. This is due to the fact that much of the energy for the islands are generated from imported fossil fuels. The solar installation for the school will offset 30,000 kWh of electricity purchased from the local utility company.

Kumu Kamanā, School Administrator shared, “We, at Nāwahī have a mission to revitalize Hawaiʻi’s native language and culture, and are always striving to strengthen and improve our efforts to contribute to the quality of life in Hawaiʻi . Connecting with those who have the same drive to give back to the community, helps support our mission. Our collaborative investment in caring for the environment in a sustainable way will benefit our school and community.”

Nāwahī School Solar Installation
Size of System: 21kW
Solar Panels: SunPower 395 Watt Photovoltaic Solar Modules
Inverters: SolarEdge
Battery Storage: Tesla Powerwalls, 13.5 kWh of energy storage each
EPC: ProVision Solar

Solar Financing Information
The school financed the solar installation through SDC Energy’s Prepaid Solar Agreement. The school raised the funds for the prepay from their capital budget and donations. The school also applied for a USDA grant for a portion of the project costs that will offset the prepayment and dramatically reduce the cost of the energy they are generating from the solar panels.

For more information about the Nāwahī School, please visit https://www.nawahi.org/

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