Hawaiian Electric Co. said Monday it was able to successfully use nearly 1 megawatt of energy from battery systems at 29 commercial customer sites on Oahu.
HECO said it can control the operation of the fleet of storage systems at all 29 sites. HECO said that, collectively, these systems operate as a “virtual power plant.” One megawatt can power about 164 homes.
“It shows the ability to connect many customers’ energy storage with the utility to provide dual value: savings for customers and better grid operations for the utility,” HECO said in a news release.
The electrical utility is testing the energy storage systems of Millbrae, Calif.-based Stem Inc. as part of a three-year pilot program. Stem synchronizes the customer-sited energy storage system’s information with data provided by HECO so the electrical utility can tap into the stored electricity at different customer sites during times of peak demand.
Businesses with Stem systems include Watanabe Floral, Higa Meat Market, Kuroda Auto Body, Menehune Water, American Land Co., Bello’s Millwork, Commercial Sheetmetal Co., Hawaiian Mission Academy, University of Hawaii, Cades Schutte Building, Pearl City Shopping Center, the Honolulu Museum of Art, Whole Foods, Safeway and Wet’n’Wild water park.
December spending up 0.5 percent
WASHINGTON >> Consumers boosted spending in December at the fastest pace in three months, giving the economy some momentum going into 2017. Consumer spending advanced 0.5 percent in December, a major improvement over the modest 0.2 percent gain in November, the Commerce Department reported Monday. It was the best showing since September. The increase was driven by a 1.4 percent surge in spending on durable goods, long-lasting items such as autos. Incomes also showed some improvement, rising by 0.3 percent in December, spurred by a rebound in growth in wages and salaries.
Pending home sales increased last month
WASHINGTON >> More Americans signed contracts to buy homes in December. The increase possibly reflects more people scrambling to purchase homes as mortgage rates have been rising and increasing the costs of ownership.
The National Association of Realtors said Monday that its seasonally adjusted pending home sales index rose 1.6 percent to 107.3, a slight rebound after declining in November. Pending sales rose in the West and South but dipped in the Northeast and Midwest. Pending sales contracts are a barometer of future purchases. A sale is typically completed a month or two after a contract is signed.
ON THE MOVE
The Honolulu Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League will honor the following people at a 2017 Distinguished Service Awards Dinner on March 4:
>> Brian Schatz has served as a U.S. senator since 2013. Schatz previously served in the state House of Representatives from 1999 to 2006 and as lieutenant governor from 2011 to 2012.
>> Daniel Foley is a retired judge who served at the state Intermediate Court of Appeals since October 2000. Prior to being a judge, Foley had a law practice and taught civil rights at the William S. Richardson School of Law, and is a former legal director of ACLU of Hawaii.
>> Kim Coco Iwamoto is a policymaker, attorney and philanthropist. Her public service includes the Volunteer Legal Services of Hawaii, state Civil Rights Commission and state Board of Education. In 2013 Iwamoto received the Harvey Milk Champion of Change award from the White House.
