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.