Ice Palace Hawaii, the state’s only ice rink, announced the completion of a 162-kilowatt photovoltaic system Tuesday.
Installed by Honolulu-based renewable energy contractor Distributed Energy Partners, the 500-panel PV system will help keep the building’s temperatures below 60 degrees and the ice around 20 degrees.
"There is something just great about using the power of the sun to help freeze the ice," said Zachary McNish, executive vice president of DEP. "It shows what solar can do — you can even use it for an ice rink."
DEP finished installation before the end of 2014 with the system expected to save Ice Palace approximately $70,000 per year.
"We were very pleased at the opportunity to partner with Ice Palace to support their efforts to make their operations more environmentally and fiscally sustainable," said John Cheever, DEP’s senior renewable energy developer. "Ice Palace is one of Oahu’s most recognized family attractions, and it is great to see them setting a positive example for both kamaaina and visitors."
Over the life of the project, the panels that cover roughly 9,000 square feet on the facility’s roof are expected to save Ice Palace more than $1 million.
"We kind of maxed out on what Hawaiian Electric will allow us to do," said Doug Taylor, Ice Palace Hawaii’s owner.
The ice rink expects to see about a 20 to 25 percent reduction on its energy bill, Taylor said.
Ice Palace’s air conditioning costs alone run between $28,000 and $30,000 a month.
Ice Palace Hawaii has been working on reducing its total bill through other energy-efficient measures, such as upgrading the rink’s equipment and changing the building’s lighting, Taylor said.
"We changed to LED lighting. We get more brightness with less energy," Taylor said.
