{"id":132507,"date":"2020-12-14T14:46:02","date_gmt":"2020-12-15T00:46:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=132507"},"modified":"2020-12-14T14:46:02","modified_gmt":"2020-12-15T00:46:02","slug":"keck-observatory-solar-panel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2020\/12\/14\/keck-observatory-solar-panel\/","title":{"rendered":"Keck Observatory completes major sustainability, solar panel project"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> < 1<\/span> minute<\/span><\/span>
\"W.
Photo credit: M. Devenot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The W. M. Keck Observatory<\/a> on University of Hawaiʻi<\/span>-managed lands on Maunakea on Hawaiʻi<\/span> Island has completed a solar photovoltaic (PV<\/abbr>) system project.<\/p>\n

\"W.
Photo credit: M. Devenot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The PV<\/abbr> system on the rooftop of Keck Observatory\u2019s telescope facility will produce more than 259 MWh<\/abbr> of energy and reduce approximately 10–15% of the observatory\u2019s need for electrical power and 183 metric tons of carbon emissions.<\/p>\n

The solar site is the world\u2019s largest commercial solar system installed at the highest altitude. Hawaiian Electric approved operation of the PV<\/abbr> system on September 30. It consists of a 133-kW<\/abbr> PV<\/abbr> array and 332 solar panels that are strategically placed on the unique 20,940 square-foot ballasted roof to avoid snow and ice fall from the domes.<\/p>\n

At high altitude, the panels will catch more photons and produce more energy than at sea-level locations. This is because sunlight atop Maunakea doesn\u2019t have to travel through as much of the Earth\u2019s atmosphere where the photons could be absorbed by something else. Having 40% less atmosphere is one feature that makes Maunakea one of the best places on Earth to conduct astronomy.<\/p>\n

Read the full story at the W. M. Keck Observatory website<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The photovoltaic system on the rooftop of Keck Observatory\u2019s telescope facility will produce more than 259 MWh of energy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[34,672,73],"class_list":["post-132507","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","tag-astronomy","tag-renewable-energy","tag-sustainability","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t