MCB HAWAII -- Sunny days are ahead for Marine Corps Base Hawaii, which was honored last month for its solar powered energy projects by the Federal Energy Management Program.
The base was recognized for its renewable energy initiatives, with specific praise for the 2008 solar panel installation in Buildings 1045 and 1027.
The Facilities Department cut down costs by installing the panels while replacing the roof of each building, said John Dunbar, resource efficiency manager, Facilities Department. The result is a non-fossil fuel energy source for the base, feeding electricity into the power grid and reduced reliance on Hawaiian Electric Company.
“Rather than installing a new black asphalt roof, the group was able to leverage the re-roofing projects to help offset the high cost of photovoltaics,” said Jennifer Landsman, contracted senior analyst, U.S. Department of Energy. “Installing a white [plastic] roof and thin film photovoltaic, [has] helped MCBH increase energy efficiency and displace HECO electricity with renewable solar power.”
Submissions from all federal agencies, including military installations and other departments, were eligible for the award. Since the competition was first established in 1981, the base has won several of the awards. In 2005, K-Bay was recognized for its careful water management by irrigating the Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course with reclaimed water as well as other water saving measures.
In this year’s win, judges were impressed with the base’s efficiency of solar panel use. The energy produced will save an estimated $18,000 each year, according to Facilities Department reports.
“Keep in mind the [volunteer judges] read many nominations,” Landsman said. “Where scores were high and there was consensus between individual scores within the group, not much further discussion was required. However, here is a quote from a judge taken from the evaluator notes: ‘Great example of utilizing new technology for building component replacement.’”
The department is also planning more solar panel projects for the base as more buildings begin requiring maintenance, Dunbar said.
“We have a lot of projects in the works for photovoltaics,” he said. “Our next project will be
Building 268, by the medical clinic … They do radio repair and there are training classrooms.”
Experimenting with a different type of panel, Dunbar said the latest project will feature crystalline tiles set at an angle to capture solar energy. He noted the project is scheduled for construction in summer 2010.
Another building ready for maintenance and this new technology is Building 1033. His department is also looking for other ways to incorporate solar energy into infrastructures besides using solar roof tiles.
“We have a bunch of projects on the pipeline we’re waiting to get funding for [including] putting up a bunch of photovoltaics carports,” he said. “Instead of just a roof, they’ll have photovoltaic panels on top.”
Some possible sites where these carports could be built would be at Building 216 and around several barracks buildings to shade parking. The resource efficiency manager said large parking areas would be the best place for the solar panel carports so they could produce the most power.
Solar energy is just one of several projects the Facilities Department is experimenting with. The department is also experimenting with other forms of renewable energy, including harnessing wave motion use for power. Dunbar said new laws encouraging conservation and finding new energy sources is also spurring more development of renewable energy.
“On Oahu, 94 percent or so of electricity is produced by the use of fossil fuels whether it’s oil or the use of coal,” he said. “Anything we can do to reduce the amount of electricity we need to buy from Hawaiian Electric helps reduce the amount of fuel and coal they have to burn.”
Last year, MCB Hawaii saved $6 million on its annual power bill through reduced energy use and lower electricity rates from HECO. Dunbar said the solar panels do contribute to the savings. All the power saving initiatives resulted in a savings of 25 percent from the previous year