OUR OPINION


Small school makes big stride in energy

THE ISSUE

Niihau school has become the first and only solar-powered school in Hawaii.

A big need -- the lack of reliable power -- was the catalyst for tiny Niihau Island School to go completely solar. While public schools across Hawaii don't share the same problem, Niihau stands as a paradigm for reducing the cost of electricity and cutting the state's dependency on power produced from fossil fuels that harm the environment. It also serves as an example of what can be achieved through cooperation between government and businesses and a community's contributions.

The school is the only one in the state fully powered by solar energy with a 10.4 kilowatt photovoltaic system providing juice for lighting and refrigeration for fresh foods to feed students and staff who before had meals mostly prepared from canned and dried products. The system also powers computers and electronic teaching equipment that couldn't be used because generators weren't enough to support them.

The school serves only 30 or so students from kindergarten to grade 12 on the privately owned island, but the three one-room buildings are also used by the 160 residents for community events that were limited by lack of electricity.

Size made the project practicable, costing $207,000 in total. Federal funds covered most of that with Kauai County and state Department of Education pitching in the rest. Niihau Ranch and the Robinson family that owns the island installed facilities for the system while solar-power companies from Kauai supplied technical support.







Oahu Publications, Inc. publishes
the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, MidWeek
and military newspapers

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

David Black, Dan Case, Dennis Francis,
Larry Johnson, Duane Kurisu, Warren Luke,
Colbert Matsumoto, Jeffrey Watanabe, Michael Wo


HONOLULU STAR-BULLETIN
Dennis Francis, Publisher Lucy Young-Oda, Assistant Editor
(808) 529-4762
lyoungoda@starbulletin.com
Frank Bridgewater, Editor
(808) 529-4791
fbridgewater@starbulletin.com
Michael Rovner, Assistant Editor
(808) 529-4768
mrovner@starbulletin.com

Mary Poole, Editorial Page Editor
(808) 529-4748; mpoole@starbulletin.com

The Honolulu Star-Bulletin (USPS 249460) is published daily by Oahu Publications at 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813. Periodicals postage paid at Honolulu, Hawaii. Postmaster: Send address changes to Star-Bulletin, P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu, Hawaii 96802.



BACK TO TOP
© Honolulu Star-Bulletin -- https://archives.starbulletin.com
Tools




E-mail Editorial Dept.