Community Solar Summit

Due to high demand, the Maui Solar Summit has changed locations from the college to the Castle Theater at the MACC. The hours are extended from 11:00am-1:30pm. A sandwich lunch by the Maui Culinary Academy will be available in the courtyard at 11:00am subsidized by the county for only $5. The blessing will start promptly at 11:30am. Please arrive early to get your seat.

SLIM & County of Maui will host Solar Summit to educate Maui County residents and businesses about PV systems. Lunch will be provided for $5 with advanced reservations. Call or go online to reserve.

Date: Friday, May 24 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Cost: $5
Where:
Castle Theater
Co-sponsored by the county and the Sustainable Living Institute of Maui, the event has been organized to bring together members of the solar industry and people interested in photovoltaic installation. Panels of experts will discuss present day photovoltaic issues and concerns. Information from the Sustainable Living Institute of Maui indicates that attendees can expect speakers to address the following kinds of questions:

  • Are there circuits on Maui that are “closed off” to new PV systems? Where?
  • If I pay for an interconnection study, what are the chances it will allow me to install solar?
  • Do I need county permits and MECO “preapproval”? How long does that take?
  • What is PUC Rule 14H and how does it affect me?
  • Are we installing as much solar PV as last year in Maui County?
  • What about off grid systems? Are people putting them in?

Experts on the agenda for the event include: Steve Rymsha, the supervisor of renewable energy projects for Maui Electric Company; Greg Nakao, an electrical engineer on development services at the County of Maui Department of Public Works; Ted Shiraishi, the rules officer for the Hawaii Department of Taxation.

The co-chairs of the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission’s photovoltaic subgroup of the Reliability Standards Working Group will talk about the relevance of the working group’s recommendations. The co-chairs are Brad Albert, co-founder of the Hawaii PV Coalition and Rising Sun Solar; and Isaac Moriwake, an attorney with Earthjustice.

Private sector speakers include Susanne Knappstein, a project manager for Haleakala Solar, Michael Reiley, the president of HNU Energy; G. Robert Johnston, the president of Hawaii Pacific Solar.

Jennifer Chirico, the executive director of the Sustainability Institute of Maui, Doug McLeod, the energy commissioner for the County of Maui will also speak at the event.

The event will be held  from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the multipurpose room of Pilina building on the UHMC campus. Lunch will be provided for $5 with advance reservation. For more information and to register: Sustainable Living Institute of Maui, 984-3379, email SLIMinfo@hawaii.edu.