Ice Palace Taking Heat On Roof

Ice Palace’s new SunPower 327-watt modules already have cut energy costs. Photo from DEP.

Ice Palace, located in Aiea’s Stadium Mall Shopping Center, got an eco-friendly makeover thanks to a joint venture between Distributed Energy Partners (DEP) and American Piping & Boiler Co.

The state’s only ice rink received nearly 500 SunPower 327-watt panels (modules), which cover about 9,000 square feet of the rink’s southern side. Construction of the panels was completed late last year.

According to DEP, the south side of the building allows for the most sunlight to hit the panels and also is the best area for production and aesthetics. American Piping & Boiler Co., based in Kapolei, was responsible for the construction and PV installation, while DEP focused on the design and project management aspects of the task.

Ice Palace Hawaii owner Doug Taylor stated that the facility also has invited in LED lighting in order to reduce the rink’s carbon footprint and maximize savings.

He also noted that the rink’s energy bill has been cut by 25 percent since the installation.

“The system is working as designed, and saving them on their electric bills,” said DEP executive vice president Zachary McNish. “We enjoyed the project, and it’s great to work with a client like Ice Palace.

“We’re glad to be able to help them save money on electric bills.”