Sunspear Energy, a Hawaii-based solar installer will expand waterpark Wet’n’Wild Hawaii’s existing 1.3 MW solar carport system to include an additional solar PV system with a Tesla Megapack battery energy storage system. The addition of the battery allows the park to store renewable energy generated and sell back power generated to the grid.
The existing solar project at Wet’n’Wild Hawaii. Sunspear
When Sunspear Energy installed a 1.3-MW solar carport system composed of 2,958 high-efficiency 440-W solar panels in 2021, Wet’n’Wild became Hawai‘i’s first and only 100% solar-powered attraction. The solar system, which also provides shaded parking for most of the parking lot, produces over 2,150,000 kWh annually equivalent to powering over 200 homes. The second phase will increase Wet’n’Wild’s renewable energy production by 181,535-kWh annually.
“This is an interesting project because it allows us to expand on what we had previously built at the water park and help them gain an even greater benefit from the existing solar carports,” said Jeff Kaemmerlen, Sunspear CEO. “Building an energy model for the water park was complex because their hours of operation change during the year with the seasons. The battery system will create a new revenue stream for Wet’n’Wild while simultaneously reducing strain on the grid by dispatching power during the peak night hours.”
Total annual operating costs are projected to decrease by more than $300,000 once the project is complete. The battery system will allow the waterpark to store excess power from solar from the existing PV installed as well as the additional 252 solar PV panels in the new system expansion. Wet’n’Wild will use the Grid Service Program incentives for commercial energy storage systems offered through Hawaiian Electric and Hawai‘i Energy’s Power Move program to sell excess power generated and stored back to the grid.
“We are proud to partner with Sunspear Energy to become a leader in renewable energy and at the forefront of regenerative tourism,” said Scott Loos, Wet’n’Wild Hawaii general manager. “We believe it is our responsibility to care for the land we call home and be good stewards for the future generations for all the keiki and their ‘ohana who come to enjoy our world-class facility. With our unique location within one of the sunniest parts of the island, this project is a perfect fit for us to not only save on energy costs, but start storing energy for use when the sun is not shining. These decisions are critical and operationally game-changing for us as these investments now will pay dividends for years to come.”
News item from Sunspear