This announcement was placed in the Honolulu Advertiser yesterday and in the Maui News today:

Maui Community College is requesting proposals from industry and other organizations for testing of solar systems or components at its Hawaii Energy Test Lab (HETL) for a service fee.

The Hawaii Energy Test Laboratory (HETL) solar thermal lab has three 80 gallon solar water heating systems set up at Maui Community College in Kahului, Maui, Hawaii. Interns use computerized instrumentation to measure temperatures, current, flow rates, and solar energy. A usage simulator is used to control hot water release and to simulate a user turning on the backup heater when needed. The system allows comparisons to be made between the three solar systems, which can be configured differently. The lab also has equipment and protocols to troubleshoot problems with systems in the field. The solar electric/PV lab has a small array and a grid tie inverter with battery backup, monitored by a computer. There is a classroom adjacent to the labs. Results of tests performed to date are available at the HETL website:

http://www.hawaiirdp.org/hetl

Contact the director William Bennett at wbennett@hawaii.edu or 808-283-0404 for more information.