According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service Hawaii Field Office (NASS), Hawaii ranked third highest in the nation in terms of the number of farms and ranches producing on-farm renewable energy. With a total of 8,569 farms nationally reporting solar panels, wind turbines, and/or methane digesters, Hawaii’s 522 reporting farms came in third behind Texas and California. Hawaii farms producing renewable energy saved an average of $2,125 on their 2009 utility bills, the 11th highest in the nation but slightly less than the national average of $2,406.
Hawaii ranked second in the nation in terms of number of solar panels located on farms and third in terms of number of farms with either photovoltaic and/or thermal solar panels. Of the reported 7,477 solar panels on farms throughout the State, 56 percent were installed between 2005 and 2009.
Hawaii ranked seventh in terms of number of small wind turbines producing energy on farms, turbines rated at a 1-100kw. Forty-three farms reported a total of 67 turbines, 42 percent which were installed over the last five years between 2005 and 2009.
The On-Farm Renewable Energy Production Survey (OREPS) was the first energy survey conducted by the USDA-NASS in 2009. A follow-on survey to the 2007 Census of Agriculture, this survey gathered information about energy production using wind turbines, solar panels, and methane digesters on American farms and ranches. This energy survey provides an inventory of farm-generated energy practices with detailed data relating to the category or type of energy produced (wind, solar, and manure/methane digester), installation cost, percent of cost from outside funding, year installed, and total amount of utility savings from the use of on-farm renewable energy production.
For complete results visit the link at: http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/.
Contact Director Mark Hudson at (808) 973-2907 for additional details.
