The State of Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (HDOT), Sustainability Partners (SP), and Hensel Phelps have marked the start of construction on new microgrid projects on Oʻahu and Kauaʻi that include solar PV canopies, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and electric vehicle charging stations. Construction Hawaiian Blessing ceremonies commemorating the start of construction were held in August.
The projects are designed to strengthen energy resilience at critical HDOT facilities by integrating solar generation with battery energy storage and intelligent microgrid controls to manage energy generation, storage, and use. Together, the projects are expected to generate 2.2 MWh of renewable energy each day and will include two 1 MW battery energy storage systems. The microgrids are part of HDOT’s broader work to modernize HDOT’s infrastructure and advance the state’s clean energy and resilience goals.
“These projects represent another important step in strengthening the resiliency of Hawaiʻi’s infrastructure,” said Ed Sniffen, Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation Director. “These PV and battery storage systems provide critical energy security for our teams during severe weather and multi-day blackouts.”
Oʻahu
The Oʻahu microgrid will serve HDOT Highways’ Oʻahu District Main Office Facility on Kakoi Street. The project includes a 1 MW battery energy storage system and solar PV canopies expected to generate 1.5 MWh of renewable energy per day. This site will include over 40 Level 2 Chargers and 1 Dual-Port 200 kW DC Fast Charger. Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure™ microgrid technology will provide the intelligent control layer that coordinates solar generation, battery storage, EV charging, and interaction with the utility grid to optimize how energy is generated, stored, and used. SP is also working with Hawaiian Electric toward enrollment in its Energy Export program, which would allow the site to export surplus power back to the electric grid.
Kauaʻi
The Kauaʻi microgrid will serve HDOT Highways’ Kauaʻi District Main Office Facility on Haleukana Street. The project includes a 1 MW battery energy storage system and solar PV canopies expected to generate 700 kWh of renewable energy per day. This site will include over 12 Level 2 Chargers and 1 Dual-Port 200 kW DC Fast Charger. As on Oʻahu, Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure™ microgrid technology will provide centralized visibility and intelligent control of the site’s distributed energy resources, helping coordinate generation, storage, and electrical loads.
“Getting to construction on the Oʻahu and Kauaʻi microgrids represents years of planning, engineering, and coordination with HDOT Highways, Hensel Phelps, our utility partners, and many others,” said Arnold Albiar, Managing Partner, Hawaiʻi, Sustainability Partners. “These microgrids are about developing resilient and sustainable transportation systems, helping the State of Hawaiʻi move forward to a cleaner, low-carbon future.”
Hensel Phelps is leading construction of both projects and has worked alongside HDOT and Sustainability Partners on transportation and energy infrastructure throughout Hawaiʻi.
These Hawaiian Blessing ceremonies at the beginning of construction are culturally important to the project, showing respect for the land, the communities, and the people the infrastructure will serve. “Being able to begin these projects with a Hawaiian Blessing is especially meaningful,” Albiar added. “We are grateful for the HDOT’s continued trust. We are proud to deliver infrastructure projects that will benefit Hawaiʻi’s communities for years to come.
Image Courtesy of: Sustainability Partners
