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HEI starts Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. said today it has set up a new business to sell photovoltaic energy systems, which convert the sun's energy directly into electricity.
subsidiary
to market
solar power
The unit will sell
photovoltaic systemsBy Russ Lynch
Star-Bulletin staff
HEI said it has formed ProVision Technologies Inc., outside of its electric utility business, to sell solar electric systems in Hawaii that will provide power to individual homes, commercial facilities and other users.
ProVision will sell small-scale generating equipment that will be owned by individual customers and installed on their premises, said Robert F. Clarke, HEI chairman, president and chief executive officer. Clarke was named board chairman of ProVision, which is based in Honolulu and will have a branch in Hilo.
The first products to be sold will be generating systems for remote houses or business operations, photovoltaic packages to power whole business buildings, systems for street lighting, and portable solar power systems, HEI said.
The systems require no fuel, need minimal maintenance and are quiet and clean, HEI said.
Use of the systems is expanding as costs fall and new types become available, said Steve Burns, senior technical services engineer for ProVision.
Photovoltaic systems provide electric power for lights, ovens, motors and other devices, and do much more than common solar-heating systems, which heat water.
In March, HEI unveiled a $92,000 photovoltaic system on a boat house roof at Ford Island. HEI subsidiary Maui Electric Co. said last week it is buying surplus power from a similar system at a whale sanctuary headquarters in Kihei.