Solar  -  June 2, 2022

Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Adds Solar

The proposed Kūpono Solar Project, a combined solar and battery system, will be built at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam West Loch Annex in Hawaii and will deliver 42 MW of renewable energy to Hawaiian Electric’s grid on the island of Oahu.

Ameresco, Inc. and Bright Canyon Energy announced the project. Construction is expected to be completed in early 2024. Kūpono Solar, the joint venture, will own and operate this solar and battery project under a 20-year PPA with Hawaiian Electric.

In support of a Department of Defense long-term energy security initiative, Kūpono Solar signed a 37-year land lease with the Navy to provide critical energy resiliency upgrades. The lease provides the use of approximately 131 acres of underutilized lands within the Navy West Loch Annex of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

The project includes the installation of a 42 MW photovoltaic solar array and 42 MW/168 MWh (four-hour duration) of lithium-ion battery storage system. The batteries will store solar energy beyond sunset hours, enabling the project to deliver sustainable, renewable energy to power approximately 10,000 homes on Oahu and will reduce more than 50,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually from Hawaii's environment.

“The Navy is excited to see this joint Kūpono Solar/Hawaiian Electric project move forward for our community’s benefit,” said Capt. Randall E. Harmeyer, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam public works officer, in a statement. “This enables us to put 131 acres of underutilized land to long-term, sustainable use for Hawai‘i at a time when the cost and reliability of worldwide energy supplies is of great concern and reflects the Navy’s core commitment to energy security and resiliency for America.”