The University of Hawaii is on its way to being entirely solar powered

[Suppressed]

The University of Hawaii is on its way to being entirely solar powered
By Lulu Chang   â€” Posted on March 26, 2018 - 5:50AM
https://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/university-of-hawaii-solar-powered/

If you needed another reason to spend your four college years in paradise (and by that, we mean Hawaii), the state’s university may have just given you one. The University of Hawaii (UH) has announced that its Maui College campus is slated to become one of the first in the United States to derive 100 percent of its energy from on-site solar photovoltaic systems (PV) coupled with battery storage. So whether you want to spend your college days surfing or knowing that your institution of higher learning is helping you to reduce your carbon footprint, the University of Hawaii may be looking like an increasingly appealing choice.

The result of a partnership with Johnson Controls and Pacific Current, this new venture will also help four other UH community college campuses on the island of O’ahu to “significantly reduce their fossil fuel consumption.” In fact, these four colleges will see their fossil fuel use decline by 98 percent, 97 percent, 74 percent, and 70 percent. Still, they won’t be quite as efficient as the main campus on Maui, whose new PV plus storage system will be able to eliminate the institution’s fossil fuel-based energy use altogether when it goes into effect in 2019.

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[Joe Wooten]

One thing the skimpy article did not mention is if the yearly cost of electricity will be cheaper or more expensive than an oil/gas fired combined cycle plant.

I'll bet it is on the more expensive side and further, there are some serious subsidies that went into the purchase of the "renewable" system.

[thackney]

One thing the skimpy article did not mention is if the yearly cost of electricity will be cheaper or more expensive than an oil/gas fired combined cycle plant.

I'll bet it is on the more expensive side and further, there are some serious subsidies that went into the purchase of the "renewable" system.

The lack of Natural Gas on the Hawaiian Islands has always made their electricity expensive.

[Joe Wooten]

The lack of Natural Gas on the Hawaiian Islands has always made their electricity expensive.

I realize that, but is it more expensive than unsubsidized solar? I doubt that.

[thackney]

I realize that, but is it more expensive than unsubsidized solar? I doubt that.

I guess it depends on the price of oil.  It was rough for them back in 2010-2014.

[thackney]

@Joe Wooten

For comparison, in 2014 Hawaii average price of electricity was 320% of the average of everyone else.

In 2016, it was down to only 230% of everyone else.

https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/state/avgprice_annual.xlsx

[Suppressed]

Yeah, if there's a place where it makes sense in the US, I'd say Hawaii would be top of the list.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

I guess it depends on the price of oil.  It was rough for them back in 2010-2014.

Really?  Chevron has had a refinery there for many years, and used to get the bulk of the oil cheaper as it came from Indonesia, which was a quicker tanker transit time than what was also landed oil into the US at higher prices.

I used to work on tanker sales when I worked Indonesia and can attest Hawaii landing had definitive advantages when it came to raw crude supplies.

[Frank Cannon]

If I walked into an Accountants, Lawyers or Doctors office and saw a University of Hawaii degree on the wall I would walk directly out.

[thackney]

Really?  Chevron has had a refinery there for many years, and used to get the bulk of the oil cheaper as it came from Indonesia, which was a quicker tanker transit time than what was also landed oil into the US at higher prices.

I used to work on tanker sales when I worked Indonesia and can attest Hawaii landing had definitive advantages when it came to raw crude supplies.

A price advantage to other oil refinery, okay.  But comparing for electrical power sources running on coal or natural gas, they have a HUGE disadvantage.  This is a very expensive location for electrical power.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

A price advantage to other oil refinery, okay.  But comparing for electrical power sources running on coal or natural gas, they have a HUGE disadvantage.  This is a very expensive location for electrical power.

No argument there.

I was responding to your comment which suggested their oil prices there were high compared to other places.

[thackney]

No argument there.

I was responding to your comment which suggested their oil prices there were high compared to other places.

That is not what I said.  I said their prices where high (electricity, the thread topic) due to the price of oil.  Unlike most locations, their price for electricity is tied to the price of oil.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

That is not what I said.  I said their prices where high (electricity, the thread topic) due to the price of oil.  Unlike most locations, their price for electricity is tied to the price of oil.

If landed crude prices there are lower, and electricity is tied to the price of oil, how is it the electricity price is higher than elsewhere?

Are you suggesting burning oil at the boiler tip is simply more expensive than deploying either coal or natural gas?

[thackney]

If landed crude prices there are lower, and electricity is tied to the price of oil, how is it the electricity price is higher than elsewhere?

Because almost everywhere else they have far cheaper sources of power.

Are you suggesting burning oil at the boiler tip is simply more expensive than deploying either coal or natural gas?

Way more expensive.

[thackney]

Are you suggesting burning oil at the boiler tip is simply more expensive than deploying either coal or natural gas?

Weighted Average Cost of Fossil Fuels for the Electric Power Industry, 2006 through 2016
https://www.eia.gov/electricity/annual/xls/epa_07_04.xlsx

Average Cost (Dollars per MMBtu)

2010
Coal = 2.27
Petroleum = 9.54
Natural Gas = 5.09

2011
Coal = 2.39
Petroleum = 12.48
Natural Gas = 4.72

2012
Coal = 2.38
Petroleum = 12.48
Natural Gas = 3.42

2013
Coal = 2.34
Petroleum = 11.57
Natural Gas = 4.33

2014
Coal = 2.37
Petroleum = 11.60
Natural Gas = 5.00

2015
Coal = 2.22
Petroleum = 6.74
Natural Gas = 3.23

2016
Coal = 2.11
Petroleum = 5.24
Natural Gas = 2.87

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Weighted Average Cost of Fossil Fuels for the Electric Power Industry, 2006 through 2016
https://www.eia.gov/electricity/annual/xls/epa_07_04.xlsx

Average Cost (Dollars per MMBtu)

2010
Coal = 2.27
Petroleum = 9.54
Natural Gas = 5.09

2011
Coal = 2.39
Petroleum = 12.48
Natural Gas = 4.72

2012
Coal = 2.38
Petroleum = 12.48
Natural Gas = 3.42

2013
Coal = 2.34
Petroleum = 11.57
Natural Gas = 4.33

2014
Coal = 2.37
Petroleum = 11.60
Natural Gas = 5.00

2015
Coal = 2.22
Petroleum = 6.74
Natural Gas = 3.23

2016
Coal = 2.11
Petroleum = 5.24
Natural Gas = 2.87

good comparison between feedstocks.  Wonder what landed prices are for Honolulu a s comparison.

[thackney]

good comparison between feedstocks.  Wonder what landed prices are for Honolulu a s comparison.

They have so little gas and coal, even if you could find the prices it would not be a reasonable comparison.