Updated at 6:31 p.m., Sunday, December 17, 2006
Ni'ihau school going high-tech
Advertiser Staff
NI'IHAU – Ni'ihau Island School is going high-tech.
In about six months, students and teachers there will be able
to enjoy having a refrigerator, freezer, lights, computers and printers on their school campus.
"The county issued a notice to proceed to Ron's Electric a couple weeks ago for the installation of a photovoltaic power system with battery storage at Ni'ihau Island School," said
Glenn Sato, energy coordinator with the county's Office of Economic Development. "They're planning to
start the project as soon as all the components arrive and hopefully have it completed by
summer."
One thing that could delay the $207,000 project is the condition of the ocean, Sato said. "The seas need to be calm in order for them to transport the supplies over to Ni'ihau," he said.
The leap from the pencil-and-paper age to the electrical age on Ni'ihau is being made possible through a collaborative effort by the County of Kaua'i, Ni'ihau Ranch, Ron's Electric, the state Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development program.
