Workers have begun installing rooftop photovoltaic panels at Hickam Air Force base that will provide renewable energy for 2,000 homes on base.

The 4-megawatt system being installed by SolarCity will generate an estimated 5.6 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year and move the Department of Defense closer to its goal of having 25 percent of its energy come from renewable sources by 2025.

The panels are being installed on 600 homes in Hickam Communities, a housing development owned and managed by Lend Lease under a contract with the Air Force. The electricity from the panels will be shared with 2,000 homes in the development.

SolarCity will own the system and sell the electricity if generates to the Air Force under a power purchase agreement.