Hawaiian Car Dealers Go Solar

KYOCERA and ProVision Solar Help Auto Businesses in Hawai’i Say Aloha to Renewable Energy

Four of eight total installations already utilizing sunshine power in Hilo, Kamuela and Captain Cook

solar power business Kyocera Solar Inc. announced today that it supplied Kyocera solar modules to ProVision Solar that will power a total of eight auto businesses on the Big Island of Hawai’i, making it one of the greenest enterprises on the island.

Along with beautiful beaches and lush rainforests, Hawai’i also has some of the nation’s highest electricity rates. Depending on a business’ size and power consumption, current rates are between 37 and 47 cents per kilowatt-hour. With such high rates and the availability of federal and state tax credits to offset the purchase of photovoltaic systems, solar is the smart choice for Hawaiian businesses and homeowners. While the cost of grid electricity will likely continue to rise, a solar photovoltaic (PV) system guarantees greater consistency in fixed cost structures.

“Since December 2012 we’ve installed a combined total of 234.7kW on four of these businesses’ rooftops, which are already producing clean, renewable electricity from the abundant Hawaiian sunshine,” said Marco Mangelsdorf, president of ProVision Solar. “The real-world performance of these roof-mounted systems, which produce up to 100 percent of the power needs of the businesses, have made true believers of the owners.”

The PV systems atop Kama’aina Motors; Kama’aina Nissan; Parts Center Hawai’i, Captain Cook; and Parts Center Hawai’i, Kamuela are fully operational, with the remaining four installations, Hilo Used Cars; Parts Center Hawai’i, Hilo; Kona Nissan; and Kona Chrysler scheduled for installation during 2013.

Wanting to work with a local, experienced Big Island-based integrator and a veteran PV module manufacturer with decades of proven success, the business owners chose ProVision Solar Inc. and Kyocera solar modules for all eight facilities.

“ProVision Solar is Hawai’i’s oldest brick-and-mortar pure PV company and has a strong understanding of Kyocera’s history in solar with a reputation for reliability and efficiency,” said Steve Hill, president, Kyocera Solar Inc. “The solar modules for these eight installations will allow these businesses to reduce one of the high costs of doing business on Hawai’i for the next 20 years or more, while also helping to preserve the environment of this beautiful island.”