Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions completes renewable energy system with Brigham Young University–Hawaii

Thanks to a partnership between Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions and Brigham Young University–Hawaii, the latter’s campus gained a solar plus storage, renewable energy system last week.

Intended to reduce the university’s environmental impact and dependence on the island’s grid, the 100-acre project includes rooftop solar, carport solar, and battery energy storage elements. It is estimated to be capable of producing 6.37 MW hours of electricity each year, fulfilling 39 percent of the university’s annual energy needs. It is set on Oahu.

“This project has made BYU–Hawaii more eco-friendly and reduced our environmental impact,” said Kevin Schlag, operations vice president for BYU-Hawaii. “The combination of solar and battery storage is a smart solution that will allow us to support our students and their education more sustainably by potentially saving the university over $20 million in utility costs over the system’s life.”

Financing for the project was made possible through a 20-year power purchase agreement with Duke. Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions, a non-regulated commercial brand of Duke Energy, designed and constructed the renewable energy system and its battery energy components.

“Now more than ever, universities, companies, and municipalities are powering their infrastructure using renewable energy to ensure sustainability and reduce carbon emissions,” Chris Fallon, president of Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions, said. “We’re proud that we were able to deliver the faculty, students, and administration of Brigham Young University–Hawaii a renewable energy solution that positively impacts the local environment and reduces the university’s impact on the energy grid in Hawaii.”