Project Development

Shared Solar in Waikōloa

Waikōloa Community Solar, LLC is developing 2 shared solar farms near Pua Melia and Waikoloa Roads: WCS I and WCS II. Each project will have 2.5MW of solar installed for residents, businesses, and non-profit organizations to subscribe to a portion of the solar energy and reduce their HECO electric bills.

These solar farms were awarded from the Community-Based Renewable Energy (CBRE) Phase 2 request for proposals and will be a part of HECO’s Customer Renewables Program on Hawai’i Island.

Map overlay and approximation of where WCS 1 and 2 will be built in Waikolōa Village. The project land carved out is owned and controlled by Waikōloa Green, a sister company.

Project Site

Current WCS 1 & 2 site in Waikōloa Village

WCS 1 & 2 will be built on a portion of Parcel 680020160000 near Waikōloa and Pua Melia Road, Waikōloa, South Kohala, HI.

The projects’ solar panels will be mounted on steel racking infrastructure which track the arc of the sun throughout the day.
Features:

Low profile system to screen from sensitive public viewsheds
No hazardous or harmful byproducts
No utilization of water and trash is only from construction

Tax Map Key Number: (3) 6-8-002:016
Zoning Land Use:

State District: AG
County Zoning: Residential-Agricultural (RA-1) and Open (O), with Change of Zone Ordinance No. 13-29 affecting the property. Solar is a permitted land use.

Constructing simultaneously two shared solar farms needs diligence. We will follow all required studies, permitting, and testing prior to the construction and operation of WCS 1 and WCS 2 shared solar farms. Throughout this process, we will provide milestone updates here on our website and, when necessary, through community outreach.

Solar Installation

The projects’ solar panels will be mounted on steel racking infrastructure which track the arc of the sun throughout the day.

Features:

Low profile system to screen from sensitive public viewsheds
No hazardous or harmful byproducts
No utilization of water and trash is only from construction

WCS 1 Project

WCS 1 Site Details

Net Nameplate Capacity

2.50 MW

Net Energy Potential Projection for the Facility

6,424(MWh)

Solar Farm Acres

Point of Interconnection

19.919134, -155.785168

Type of Interconnection

Pad Mounted 12-kV Line Tap

Subscription Allotment

100% Residential

Location

The location of WCS 1 is near current 12-kV utility poles where it can connect.

Impervious Coverage

Current

Solar Relative To Entire Parcel (716 acres)

Solar Farm Area (9 acres)

Solar Racking & Fencing

0.15 acres, 0.02%

0.15 acres, 1.6%

Equipment Pads

0.07 acres, 0.01%

0.07 acres, 0.8%

WCS 2 Project

WCS 2 Site Details

Net Nameplate Capacity

2.50 MW

Net Energy Potential Projection for the Facility

6,424 MWh

Solar Farm Acres

Point of Interconnection

19.921584, -155.783961

Type of Interconnection

Pad Mounted 12-kV Line Tap

Subscription Allotment

60% Residential
40% Commercial

Location

WCS 2 is adjacent to WCS1 and is also near a current 12-kV utility pole where it can connect.

Impervious Coverage

Current

Solar Relative To Entire Parcel (716 acres)

Solar Farm Area (9 acres)

Solar Racking & Fencing

0.15 acres, 0.02%

0.15 acres, 1.6%

Equipment Pads

0.07 acres, 0.01%

0.07 acres, 0.8%

Environmental Impact

Helping the planet is our core business.

We take to heart that our projects are built without damaging the ecosystem around it from the design stage to execution. We do this by following all applicable environmental standards and approvals prior to construction.

What We Plan to Do

Our project sites for WCS 1 and 2 are suitable for solar, according to local zoning, and we plan to:

Conduct new EIS and Environmental Impact Assessment
Develop Prevention and Mitigation Plans
Listen and Address Community Concerns, if any, in Plans
Follow applicable national, state, and local environmental laws and guidelines

Environmental Planning
Some environmental planning details that are usually asked are below. If you’d like to know more, feel free to reach out.
Contact Us →

Natural Environment Mitigation

Air Quality: Operating a community solar farm has no impact on surrounding air quality. During construction, which is less than a year, typical traffic from related heavy machinery and truck deliveries is expected.
Biology: An environmental impact statement (EIS) conducted in 2007 for the parcel determined there are no pre-existing environmental conditions at the site that can be impacted. We expect the new EIS to have no impact as well.
Soils: there will be no runoff or impact on the soils.
- The soils are considered to be classified as “E” or “very poor” conditions prior to solar.
- There are no pre-existing conditions or contaminations where the solar farms will be installed.
Topography and Geology: the intended mechanical design of the solar farm’s racking will accommodate to avoid or have minimal impact on the current topography. There will be no impact to the existing geology during construction or the operations of the system.

Land and Community

Aesthetic Resources: WCS 1 and 2 will be sited away from the existing road frontage of Pua Melia St. and Waikōloa Rd.
- Solar rackings are less than 8-10 ft in height
Noise: there is no audible noise from operating a community solar farm. Solar inverters have a <65 decibel sounds at 3 ft away, which is reduced by 6 decibels every doubling of distance.
- The usual amount of noise from trucks and machinery during construction is expected
Roadways and Traffic: after initial construction the site will have up to 4 service visits a year from professional solar service contractors, typically in a single vehicle.
Socio-Economic Characteristics:
- Big Island residents and businesses will benefit from reduced electricity bills by subscribing to shared solar
- Local businesses will benefit from the construction
Archaeological and Cultural Impact: there will be no archaeological and cultural impacts to the land or neighborhood from any development on the parcel, based on a 2019 field study
Hazardous Materials: No equipment or operational use involved with the solar farm contains hazardous materials.
Solid Waste: community solar farms do not produce solid waste
- Construction related debris will be removed from the site on a routine basis or temporarily construction dumpsters.
Utilities: HECO will fully evaluate interconnection and safe operation
Water Quality: community solar farms do not use water.
- There is no water runoff or water drainage impact associated with the construction since the design accommodates to existing topography

Land Use

Site Assessment

We will conduct required environmental assessments for the WCS 1 and 2 project sites to determine what we need to mitigate or prevent during construction and operations.
We anticipate the construction and operation of the community solar farms will have no adverse environmental impact on the island.

Land Use Classification

WCS 1 and 2 will take a portion of a 716-acre parcel that is entirely classified in the state land use classifications as Agricultural (AG) that allows for solar energy facilities.
The parcel is also within the check zone for the Waikōloa Maneuver Area Formerly Used Defense Site (WMA FUDS). The parcel received a Conditional No Further Action letter from the State of Hawaii Department of Health (HDOH).

County Zoning

We have received written confirmation from the County Planning Director that solar will be a permitted use.

Details
Hawai’i County zoning code does not have a reference for solar farms at this time; however, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), as amended, does reference solar farms as a permitted use within the State Land Use Agricultural district.

As the subject property has soil classified by the Land Study Bureau as “E” or “Very Poor” soil, the following section in the HRS will apply:
HRS 205-2 (6) Solar energy facilities; provided that:

This paragraph shall apply only to land with soil classified by the land study bureau’s detailed land classification as overall (master) productivity rating class B, C, D, or E; and
Solar energy facilities placed within land with soil classified as overall productivity rating class B or C shall not occupy more than ten percent of the acreage of the parcel, or twenty acres of land, whichever is lesser, unless a special use permit is granted pursuant to section 205-6.