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Kaisei Power reports yearlong test of small vertical-axis turbine at Kalaʻoloa Heritage Park
Summary
Kaisei Power updated the Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority on a 0.3 kW vertical-axis wind turbine installed at Kalaʻoloa Heritage Park in early 2025, saying it has operated about 10 months and provides auxiliary power (charging/lighting) where grid power is unavailable.
Kaisei Power told the Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority on Jan. 7 that a small vertical-axis wind turbine installed at Kalaʻoloa Heritage Park in Kapolei has been operational for about 10 months and is intended to provide auxiliary power for park maintenance and lighting.
Robert Condiff of Kaisei Power said the demonstration unit is a 0.3 kilowatt device installed in early 2025 on an existing concrete pad inside a secured perimeter. "It stands approximately 22 feet high," Condiff said, and has a circumference of about 4 feet. The company said the unit was shipped in crates, assembled on-site in three sections and bolted to a three-legged base to secure it.
Kaisei Power described the system as self-contained: it combines solar and wind inputs into a control module, charges 40-volt batteries and uses an inverter to produce alternating current accessible through external AC plugs for tools or lighting. "It’s really intended to provide some kind of charging power, auxiliary power for use of maintenance equipment and things of that nature," Condiff said.
Company representatives described technical performance and safety features. They reported a cut-in wind speed of roughly 3–5 miles per hour and said the design’s cut-out speed exceeds 180 miles per hour, asserting the unit can operate safely in very high winds and avoids the vibration and flight-path recognition issues associated with large horizontal-axis turbines.
Board members asked whether Kaisei Power would pursue larger, grid-connected installations or power purchase agreements; the presenters said they welcome such opportunities. The company said the Kailua (Kailioloa) installation was an early-generation unit and that a second-generation blade design deployed in Kakaʻako produces substantially more power; Kaisei Power representatives said they are evaluating additional sites statewide and can perform site assessments on request.
No members of the public signed up to testify on the item. The authority received the update and had no further action recorded on the demonstration beyond the presentation.
The presentation packet included a site map and a TMK reference for the Kalaʻoloa/Kailua location and is part of the staff meeting record.
