THE Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation was recently awarded $1.4 million by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs to design and build a 176-kilowatt solar PV car park structure.
“Powering medical equipment and maintaining public health requirements around the clock are mandatory for a safe patient environment,” said CHCC Chief Executive Officer Esther L. Muna. “With the addition of solar energy, the CNMI’s only hospital bolsters its capabilities to meet the demands of its community.”
She added, “Renewable energy also reduces harmful emissions and air pollution from diesel-powered energy production, as well as lessens our dependency on fossil fuels.”
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, solar PV car park structures are built tall enough to allow cars to park underneath.
Several solar parking lots also incorporate electric car charging stations, allowing drivers of electric vehicles to recharge while parked.
Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, for his part, said the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation already has electric vehicles or EVs, adding that there have been discussions to install charging ports in the CNMI.
“We have been talking to some of the vendors here about the availability of EVs, and when they are coming,” Torres said. “They’re not as easily accessible as we would like, but we are working on getting more EVs here.”
Esther Muna