Air Force housing in Hawaii goes solar
Construction has started on what’s expected to be one of the largest solar installations in Hawaii, as well as one of the largest solar-powered communities in the US.
The Hickam Communities/SolarCity project aims to provide 4 megawatts of power to more than 2,000 military family homes at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickham. The project is also expected to create more than 55 green jobs in the region during the two-year installation period.
Owned and managed by the property solutions provider Lend Lease, Hickam Communities is the preferred developer for the US Air Force to develop, design, construct, renovate and provide asset and property management for homes at Hickam Air Force Base through 2057.
As part of the planned solar-energy project, SolarCity expects to initially install solar panels on around 600 rooftops in the community. The effort is also aimed at helping the Air Force meet Department of Defense goals to have 25 percent of its energy requirements met by renewable sources by 2025.
The Hawaii community will be the second solar-powered community on an Air Force Base in the US. Lend Lease and SolarCity have also worked together to develop a community-wide solar power project at Soaring Heights at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona.
