Plans in the works for 1st all-solar energized public facility in NMI

Members of the 17th Saipan Municipal Council pose with Gov. Arnold I. Palacios. From left, council vice chair Antonia Tudela, Palacios, council chair Marian Tudela, and council secretary Carmen Pangelinan. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

The 17th Saipan Council Leadership has partnered with Gov. Arnold I. Palacios and Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang to transform the Chalan Kanoa Leadership Kiosku courtyard estate into the first public facility to become fully energized with non-fossilized power.

The municipal council also praised the two CNMI leaders as stewards of the environment, citing their support of the council’s effort to make the Chalan Kanoa Leadership Kiosku courtyard estate be made into a model solarized public facility that could serve as a prototype in insular communities.

They said in a statement that they embrace the goals of Department of the Interior assistant secretary Carmen Cantor to enable territories to achieve sustainable energy strategies that contribute to mitigating the adverse effects of climate change; reduce fossilized fuel dependence; and curb the expenditures of remote island territories on imported fossil fuels.

By contributing to improvements in the alternative application of energy infrastructure and energy policy through energizing insular communities and territories energy program promoted by OIA in the remote insular territories in the Pacific, the council also promotes an overarching policy goal that is linked to the CNMI’s strategic energy plan, energy action plan, or integrated resource plan that would result in projected energy cost savings to end-users by the Saipan municipality’s public facilities.

The municipal council leadership looks forward to taking the lead in fully implementing a small-scale grid-tie rooftop solarized non-fossil fuel energy alternative at the Chalan Kanoa Kiosku Leadership Courtyard early next year, said council chairwoman Marian Tudela.

The project would include installing solar photovoltaic and battery energy storage system that features the PV installation of solar panel system at the Chalan Kanoa Leadership Kiosku, which is located next to the U.S. Postal Service in Chalan Kanoa.

The components of the Kiosku grid-tie solar energy system project includes design and engineering and construction of a 4.80KW (DC) solar energy system calibrated to reach an estimated 100% peak offset. When complete, the grid-tie system is set to change course of the current energy consumption at the Kiosku from fossil-driven power grid to one that harvests the natural energy of the tropical sun 365 days a year.

Uniquely designed, the solar energy-driven power aims to provide a life estimated at more than 20 years, based on a design using a tier-one U.S.-made solar energy equipment and balance of system material, with the best industry warranties intended to stand the test of time and typhoon conditions, such as the recent Super Typhoon Yutu.

The solar system as envisioned comprises 12 x 400 watt solar energy modules, or a total output of an estimated 8,043kWh in Year 1. That’s power consumption that will not have to be purchased, which permanently reduces the Kiosku’s present fossil-dependent power use.

The council leadership shares the concern recently raised by deputy assistant secretary Keone Nakoa that “(e)nergy costs in the territories are among the highest in the nation,” and praises the leadership of Cantor for spearheading a mandated priority set by the Biden-Harris administration “to help drive down the costs and promote cleaner energy options” that embraces that includes the far-flung islands of the Marianas archipelago. (PR)