Solar + storage clusters to bring energy savings and security to Oahu military community
Lendlease and Holu Hou Energy (HHE) have signed a contract to install HHE’s HoluPower energy storage and solar photovoltaic systems on homes at Lendlease’s Island Palm Communities.
The installations will come in the form of HHE’s EnergyCluster, where multiple residential units have their systems connected in an energy network or “cluster.” Excess solar generation from any unit’s system in the network that would normally be lost is directly shared in real time with other connected units that have load above solar generation. The benefit is that the optimized PV and energy storage systems can meet 75 to 80% or more of the overall residents’ energy needs while not exporting power to the utility grid.
“Lendlease Communities is proud to partner with Holu Hou Energy on this innovative renewable energy project, which will not only improve the quality of life for military families at Island Palm Communities, but also contribute to a more resilient and stable electric grid in Oahu,” said Matt Lynn, SVP of energy and utilities at Lendlease. “This partnership further solidifies our commitment to developing sustainable communities using cutting-edge technology.”
Lendlease and HHE began initial planning in 2021, which culminated in constructing a “pilot” project in May 2022. Since then, the pilot has been operating with outstanding results across six residential units. In a typical month, approximately a third of the total generated electricity is shared with other units in the “cluster” thereby solving issues related to vacancy and resident load variability, while proving out the superior value created through a clustered approach versus stand-alone systems.
The savings realized by Island Palm Communities through deployment of HHE’s systems is being reinvested to enhance the housing and amenities Lendlease offers to military families on the installation. Additionally, residents now have resilient back-up power that can be utilized during grid outage events. These systems also take a load burden off the Oahu electric grid, which improves overall stability.
Each residential unit will have approximately 10 kW of PV and 25 kWh of energy storage, with six residences typically being connected in an HHE EnergyShare network. Construction is set to begin summer of 2023, with initial installations at the Aliamanu Military Reservation near Honolulu.
News item from Lendlease