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CHCC begins solar power project at lower parking lot
The section of the Commonwealth Health Center’s parking lot that will be used for the solar panel project is sectioned off. The project, called the Photovoltaic System Parking Shade Structure, is expected to be completed by early 2020.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
The Commonwealth Health Care Corp. will soon start the construction of the Commonwealth Health Center’s solar power project, which will take the form of a covered parking lot at CHC and the roofs made up of solar panels.
The project is expected to be fully completed in early 2020.
This project follows CHCC’s upgrades on the hospital’s water system and is ultimately intended to help the hospital lower its energy cost, boost its energy efficiency, and reduce its carbon footprint.
The project, called the Photovoltaic System Parking Shade Structure, was made possible after CHCC received a $560,000 grant from the Department of Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs Energizing Insular Communities program.
According to Saipan Tribune archives, CHCC CEO Esther Muña said the project is long overdue for a healthcare facility like CHC, as it would save them money that they can used for other services. She added that the hospital consumes a lot of energy due to 24-hour air-conditioning and the equipment they use every day.
CHCC estimates to save as much as $700,000 a year on its utility bills once the solar project is completed.
With the construction undergoing, CHCC advises to the public that finding parking at CHC may be slightly more difficult as a portion of the lower parking lot is sectioned off for the construction. CHCC’s facilities and maintenance team have been working on solutions to accommodate both patients and staff, and requests the public be aware to new traffic flow patterns around the outpatient clinic and administrative entrances.
