Parking Lots, Rooftops, & Farms: Mapping Oʻahu’s Solar Potential - CleanTechnica

The article "Parking Lots, Rooftops, & Farms: Mapping Oʻahu’s Solar Potential" from CleanTechnica examines the substantial solar energy opportunities on the island of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, in the context of a fully electrified energy system that excludes aviation, shipping, and military fuel uses. Oʻahu benefits from a strong and consistent solar resource due to its geographic location near 21° north latitude, with solar capacity factors ranging from 18-20% for fixed rooftop systems and about 23% for utility-scale single-axis tracking systems. Existing assessments by the Hawaiʻi Natural Energy Institute and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) estimate that about 1,862 MW of utility-scale solar capacity could be installed on suitable land, potentially generating 3,700 to 4,000 GWh annually—roughly half of the island’s electricity needs in an electrified economy. In addition to utility-scale solar, rooftop solar is a significant contributor, with nearly half