The 2,400 solar panels of the Marianas Business Plaza produces between 70 and 90 percent of the building\u2019s power, according to owner Erick Van Der Maas, and is part of his goal to have one of the greenest, if not the greenest, building in the Pacific.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was always interested in clean energy,\u201d he told Saipan Tribune.<\/p>\n
The idea for the solar farm was hatched five years ago, and was realized in November, after permitting and manufacturing was completed over the last several years.<\/p>\n
The solar farm was designed and built by N15 Architects and Hofschneider Engineering. GPPC, Inc. was the contractor.<\/p>\n
Some 200 panels each are routed to the farm\u2019s 12 converter boxes. Energy is carried underground and around the side of the building into a back room where six inverters hum and whir as long as the sun is out.<\/p>\n
When a large cloud passes, they go quiet, but just for a minute, said Van Der Maas. Then they start are whirring again.<\/p>\n
The structures outside are built to withstand 185 mph wind load. The panels produce an average of 2,000 kilowatts a day on an island with 5.25 peak sun hours.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are one of the greenest or the greenest buildings in the Pacific\u2026I look around and I can\u2019t find so far a greener building than us,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t use central air-conditioning, which is an enormous waste of energy. We painted our roofs white to be reflective. We try to collect water when we can,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Aquaponics is another area they are looking to develop, he said. Right now, they have a facility on the plaza\u2019s first floor and are looking to move it to the third floor soon to have self-made lettuce and other vegetables.<\/p>\n
In this facility, fish will defecate in their water tanks, then plants will use this for nitrate as well as clean the water.<\/p>\n
He said the food that\u2019s not finished at MBP\u2019s 360 Restaurant will be dried and fed to the fish again \u201cso there is little waste, and little water waste as well\u201d in a process that for the most part is pesticide- and fertilizer-free, Van Der Maas said.<\/p>\n
The \u201cicing on the cake\u201d is the harvest of fish at the end of the year.<\/p>\n
\u201cPesticide-free vegetables, healthy fish\u2026you know what you get when you eat here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
This new aquaponic venture will be used solely for the restaurant but Van Der Maas hopes younger people on Saipan will start to develop the field on a bigger scale.<\/p>\n
He believes Saipan can become an eco-friendly destination for tourists.<\/p>\n
In the Pacific, he said, tourists want to go to a place that is clean.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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