HALSEY TERRACE — A solar power system that provides enough electricity for 10 homes was unveiled yesterday at Navy housing, part of a broad effort to find energy alternatives in the nation's most oil-dependent state.

The 107-kilowatt photovoltaic system at the Halsey Terrace Community Center is expected to generate more than 13,000 kilowatts of electricity a month, according to a news release.

The military is the state's largest consumer of electricity, said Rear Adm. Townsend Alexander, commander of Navy Region Hawaii, and the Navy "understands and recognizes an obligation" to explore alternative energies.

The $800,000 project was finished in just 45 days, though the typical lead time for a project of this type is six to eight months, said Sean Mullen, president of Suntech Hawaii, the project's designer and builder.

"We really worked day and night to get this done," he said.

He hopes the visibility of the project in "a place that is really central to O'ahu" will persuade others to incorporate renewable energy into everyday life.

Gov. Linda Lingle attended the ceremony along with representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy and Forest City Military Communities, the company that is rebuilding military housing statewide. Guests were able to view the 477 SunPower 225-watt photovoltaic panels on the community center's roof.

The Halsey Terrace project "really shows that we're in step with current power philosophies and sustainable development efforts," said Andy Anderson, senior project manager for the Halsey Terrace neighborhood.

"It's a major step for the state and I can see commercial companies doing the same thing," Anderson said.

While the solar power system was not in the original plans for Halsey Terrace, its success — both as an environmentally friendly and economically efficient system — will likely lead to more photovoltaic installations across the state, said several of the speakers.

Jon Wallenstrom, senior vice president of Forest City Military Communities Hawaii, said the system is expected to pay for itself in 16 years or less, and to keep working for more than 30 years.

"Of course, we want to be good to the environment, but pragmatically, it also made economic sense to go forward with this," Wallenstrom said.

The staggered placement of the black panels, not silver, was designed to help blend into the surroundings, said Josh Powell, a vice president for Suntech.

Lingle said abundant sunshine gives Hawai'i a "natural resource advantage" and incentive to explore renewable energy.

She praised Forest City for adopting the photovoltaic system and urged other developers to follow its lead and "not to be dragged along" in the effort to become energy efficient.