IPC wins coveted national award

By Island Palm Communities, News ReleaseJune 27, 2011

IPC wins coveted national award
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

SCHOFIELD BARRACKS -- Island Palm Communities, here, has been recognized with the 2011 Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Partnership Award from the Association of Defense Communities.

IPC is also on track to have more than 25 percent of its renewable energy requirements met by 2025.

“It’s an honor to be recognized from among the many commendable projects that were nominated from across the country,” said Mark Frey, project director, IPC. “Our development and design/build teams have done a tremendous job working with our Army (partners) to provide them with new technologies and approaches to design solutions, which will assist them in meeting their energy efficiency goals.”

IPC is implementing a development plan worth $2.51 billion that achieves the Department of Defense’s aggressive energy efficiency goal through the installation of photovoltaic and solar hot water systems on rooftops.

This project is the Army’s largest residential privatization undertaking ever awarded.

Today, 17.2 percent of IPC’s energy comes from renewable energy sources.

IPC currently consumes 118 million kilowatt-hours a year. Solar hot water offsets 14.4 million kW a year, equaling 12.2 percent of IPC’s demand. Installed photovoltaic systems total 5,200 direct current kW and generate 5.9 million kwh per year, which is 5 percent of the local demand.

“Soldiers and civilians are well aware of the challenge we have to reduce energy consumption, so having the opportunity to meet the DoD’s goal in our housing communities is a great accomplishment,” said Col. Douglas Mulbury, commander, U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii. “Utilizing new technologies and approaches to developing sustainable communities will assist families with their efforts to conserve energy at home, especially as we prepare to launch the Army’s utility conservation program.”

By October 2020, IPC will surpass the federal goal of 25 percent renewable energy.

The systems are targeted to produce another 14.5 million kW a year, supplying an additional 12.3 percent of demand, with the installation of more photovoltaic and solar hot water systems on the remaining new homes to be constructed, as well as plans to enter into a power purchase agreement.

Other benefits of photovoltaic systems include avoiding carbon, sulfur and nitrogen oxides emissions; an estimated savings of 15,500 barrels of oil each year; zero emissions on-site; no air or noise pollution; and no hazardous waste.

IPC is a leader in sustainable development in more ways than just energy conservation. It participated in the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development pilot. This program provided IPC with an opportunity to help establish the first national rating system for neighborhood design, in collaboration with developers across the U.S.

In April, IPC’s Simpson Wisser neighborhood, at Fort Shafter, became one of the first communities to receive LEED-certified neighborhood recognition.

The IPC and USAG-HI partnership has improved the quality of life for military families and positioned families to be leaders in conserving energy and sustaining the environment in which they live and work.

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