{"id":15581,"date":"2022-02-16T10:48:40","date_gmt":"2022-02-16T15:48:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=15581"},"modified":"2022-02-16T10:48:40","modified_gmt":"2022-02-16T15:48:40","slug":"a-hawaiian-macadamia-nut-farm-gets-solar-and-storage-achieving-100-renewable-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=15581","title":{"rendered":"A Hawaiian macadamia nut farm gets solar and storage, achieving 100% renewable power"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0Hawaii-based Mauna Loa<\/a>, one of the world\u2019s major macadamia nut brands, just got a 1.2-megawatt solar farm and 500 kW battery storage system. The new solar and storage join existing clean energy sources at the facility, which means it\u2019s now powered by 100% clean energy.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t<\/p>\n

\n

UnderstandSolar is a free service that links you to top-rated solar installers in your region for personalized solar estimates. Tesla now offers price matching, so it\u2019s important to shop for the best quotes.\u00a0Click here to learn more and get your quotes<\/a>. \u2014 *ad<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\n

Mauna Loa\u2019s new solar and storage system, which will directly power 85% of Mauna Loa\u2019s processing plant in Kea\u2018au, means it\u2019s now the largest operating PV project dedicated to a private company in Hawaii. <\/p>\n

The system, which was developed by Schenectady, New York-based solar and storage company DSD Renewables<\/a> and Maui-based renewable energy developer No Ka Oi Energy<\/a>, is expected to generate 1.55 million kWh of solar energy annually, avoiding over 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent each year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

No Ka Oi Energy brought the project to DSD, which will be the long-term owner and manager of the solar and storage system.<\/p>\n

The solar farm features 2,916 solar panels that sit on three acres on Mauna Loa\u2019s macadamia nut farm.<\/p>\n

Mauna Loa\u2019s Hawaiian crop of macadamias are grown with rainwater, making the macadamia one of the most sustainable nut varieties. The company also uses the whole nut during its production process, cleanly burning the shells to create renewable energy and composting the nut husks to enrich the local community\u2019s soil.<\/p>\n

Ed Schultz, president and CEO of Hawaiian Host Group, the parent company of Mauna Loa said<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

This project nicely complements Mauna Loa\u2019s on-site water and wastewater system, and with the addition of the renewable power system, our Kea\u2018au facility can now be 100% self-sustained. We will continue to learn and take action to minimize our environmental impact as much as possible and care for our \u02bb\u0101ina [land].<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Electrek\u2019s Take<\/h2>\n

Nuts are tasty and nutritious (as long as you don\u2019t have a nut allergy). But a lot of nuts, such as almonds, cashews, and pistachios, aren\u2019t very sustainable, because they require a lot of water to produce. <\/p>\n

Macadamias, as we previously mentioned, are much more sustainable when it comes to water needs, and Mauna Loa getting onto 100% clean energy makes the tasty but costly nut even more sustainable. <\/p>\n

Now if the company could just figure out how to eliminate the flight emissions produced as the nuts are shipped out of Hawaii to retailers, even better, but this shift to clean energy production certainly doesn\u2019t hurt.<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong> Hawaii\u2019s Big Island is getting one of its first utility-scale solar farms<\/a><\/p>\n

Photo: DSD Renewables<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.<\/em> More.<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n\n

<\/p>\n

Subscribe to Electrek on YouTube for exclusive videos<\/a> and subscribe to the podcast<\/a>.<\/p>\n