Kukui Plaza goes solar to offset rising cost of energy

The Kukui Plaza condominium association is taking aim at rising maintenance fees with the installation of a photovoltaic system atop the 32-story mixed-use complex in downtown Hono­lulu that will significantly reduce its electricity bill.

The Association of Owners’ board of directors estimates it will be able to cut electricity costs by about $23,000 a year by using the 200-kilowatt PV array to provide power for common areas, including elevators and lighting.

Rising electricity costs are among the factors that have driven recent increases in maintenance fees of the mixed-use condo proj­ect built in the 1970s, according to Henry Urquhart, Kukui Plaza operations manager. "We needed to find a way to offset those rising utility costs," he said.

The installation, done by Kailua-based Sunetric, required 47 helicopter lifts to hoist the panels and other components from the ground to the rooftop. Sunetric said the PV system is the highest ever installed in Hawaii when measured from ground level.

The system is expected to produce 397,545 kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, offsetting about 32 percent of the association’s power needs.

Installation is expected to be complete by November.

Sunetric will own the PV system and sell the electricity to the condominium association for 20 years on a fixed schedule below the prevailing utility rate. At the end of the contract period, the association will own the system and enjoy 100 percent of the savings from energy generated.

The project is significant because it illustrates that solar energy systems can have an impact in dense urban locations, said Alex Tiller, Sunetric’s chief executive officer.

"Honolulu is one of the densest cities in the U.S., and we can only hope more condominium proj­ects in the city will join Kukui Plaza’s smart planning," Tiller said.