STATE OFFICE TOWER RECOGNIZED WITH PRESTIGIOUS ENERGY AWARD

For Immediate Release: October 31, 2012

HONOLULU — The State Office Tower has earned a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold level certification in the category of operations and maintenance of existing buildings. It is Hawaii’s first State-owned and operated building certified as Gold under LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (EBOM) Program. It has the further distinction of being the only publicly- and/or privately-owned large office building in the State to earn LEED Gold under the EBOM Program.

Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the LEED rating system is a third-party verification process that is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings.

“Seeking energy independence is a commitment that is made at all levels – government, business, community, family and individual,” said Governor Neil Abercrombie. “I want to thank the state employees at the Leiopapa a Kamehameha Building for setting an example of what can be done collectively as we continue to set ambitious energy goals across the state.”

Located at 235 South Beretania Street in Downtown Honolulu, the State Office Tower, also known as the Leiopapa a Kamehameha Building, currently houses a number of state agencies and is managed by the Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS).

This distinction awarded to the State of Hawai‘i is a third-party verification that the 161,000-square foot State Office Tower is being operated in a manner that maximizes operational efficiency and positive environmental impacts. With assistance from an energy saving performance contracting firm, NORESCO, and technical assistance from Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), the certification process guided the State of Hawai‘i’s facilities and energy teams in identifying the following objectives for the State Office Tower:
• Reduce energy, water and resource consumption
• Enhance the indoor environment
• Drive down operations costs

Improvements to the State Office Tower resulted in reduced energy and water use through the following actions:
• Lighting retrofits and controls including efficient light fixtures and lamps to perform beyond the required standards
• Use of environmentally friendly building materials
• Reuse of existing furniture and equipment
• Green training and education for tenants and employees
• Green cleaning policy to decrease the exposure to potentially hazardous chemical, biological and particulate contaminants
• Use of low-flush and low-flow water fixtures, saving an estimated 248,790 gallons a year, a 44% water use reduction savings
• Diversion of over half of its waste stream from the landfill

The State Office Tower has achieved a score of 96 under the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager program. A rating of 96 indicates that the building, from an energy consumption standpoint, performs better than 96% of all similar buildings nationwide, while a rating of 75 indicates that the building performs better than 75% of all similar buildings nationwide. Based on source energy, EPA’s energy performance rating system accounts for the impact of weather variations as well as changes in key physical and operating characteristics of each building. Buildings rating 75 or greater may qualify for the ENERGY STAR label.

Five other buildings (public and privately owned) in the State have received LEED certifications for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance. Of these buildings, two smaller buildings are LEED Gold EBOM. There are ten State of Hawai‘i public buildings that have received other certifications under the LEED New Construction or Commercial Interiors Programs.

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For more information, contact:

Noreen Kam
Communications Officer
DBEDT’s State Energy Office
Phone: (808) 587-3860

HAWAII PICKS UP NATIONAL AWARD FOR ENERGY SAVINGS PERFORMANCE CONTRACTING

For Immediate Release: October 10, 2012

HONOLULU — The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s (DBEDT) State Energy Office took home a top award on behalf of the State of Hawaii in the 2012 “Race to the Top” energy savings per capita competition, recently presented by Energy Services Coalition (ESC) in Nashville, TN.

The ESC “Race to the Top” ranks states by investment per capita in energy savings performance contracting, which enables building owners to use future energy savings to cover upfront costs for energy saving projects, eliminating the need to dip into capital budgets.

“This honor is recognition that Hawaii is on track to meeting our energy goals and taking control over the high cost of powering our state,” said Governor Neil Abercrombie. “My administration remains committed to reducing our dependence on imported oil and stabilizing energy costs, both of which are essential to establishing a sustainable economy for the people of Hawaii.”

The State of Hawaii has invested $132.25 per capita, an increase from its previous figure of $117.09 per capita. Ohio came in second with a $108.58 investment per capita, with Kansas, Idaho and Massachusetts rounding out the top five. The award recognized Hawaii for its outstanding commitment to energy efficiency, environmental stewardship and economic development through Energy Savings Performance Contracting.

“We are honored to have been nationally recognized for our energy efficiency investments at public facilities, which is a key part of achieving our 70 percent clean energy goal by 2030,” said Richard Lim, Director of DBEDT. “Such an investment also provides economic benefits in energy cost savings and the creation of clean energy jobs.”

The State Energy Office has been providing technical assistance on performance contracting to state agencies and counties since 1996. Hawaii’s investment of $171.3 million will offer an estimated savings of more than $306 million over the life of the contracts and is expected to create or maintain 3,650 jobs.

“We are moving forward on other energy savings performance contracting projects to further increase efficiency and reduce costs at State government buildings and facilities,” said Mark Glick, Energy Administrator of DBEDT

ECS is a national nonprofit organization composed of a network of experts who collaborate to increase energy efficiency and building upgrades through energy savings performance contracting.

For more information on the State Energy Office, visit energy.hawaii.gov.

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For more information, contact:

Mark Glick
State Program Administrator
DBEDT’s State Energy Office
Phone: (808) 587-3812

Noreen Kam
Communications Officer
DBEDT’s State Energy Office
Phone: (808) 587-3860

STATE ENERGY OFFICE UNVEILS NEW GUIDEBOOK FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATION INSTALLATIONS

For Immediate Release: October 3, 2012

HONOLULU — The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s (DBEDT) State Energy Office has released a new guidebook designed to be a resource for commercial properties interested in installing an electric vehicle (EV) charging station.

Called “Hawaii EV Ready Guidebook for Commercial Electric Vehicle Charging Station Installations,” the free guide is available online at the State Energy Office’s website (electricvehicle.hawaii.gov) and on Plug In America’s website (www.pluginamerica.org/hawaii_ev_ready_guidebook).

“This guidebook is an example of Hawaii’s continued leadership in vehicle electrification, which plays a role in Governor Abercrombie’s New Day initiative to further enable renewable energy use and meet our energy goals,” said Richard Lim, Director of DBEDT. “It is one of the many tools our State Energy Office provides to those interested in tapping into Hawaii’s EV market.”

The guidebook serves as an introduction for installing and hosting EV charging stations at retail stores, hotels, businesses and multiple-use dwellings (i.e., apartments, townhouses and condominiums), as well as both privately- and publicly-owned parking lots.

“The guide illustrates a logically planned process that can result in successful charging installations to meet the needs of Hawaii’s EV drivers and property owners,” said Mark Glick, Energy Administrator of the State Energy Office. “This type of investment is vital to helping the State reach our goal of 70 percent clean energy by 2030.”

The guide was produced by Plug In America, which was awarded $50,000 last year by DBEDT’s EV Ready Grant Program. Plug In America was one of six EV Ready grant recipients announced in March 2011 with a goal to accelerate Hawaii’s adoption of EVs and related charging equipment.

“We are proud to have developed a comprehensive resource to help further the growth of the electric vehicle sector in Hawaii,” said Dan Davids, Board Chairman and Project Manager for Plug In America. “We are particularly pleased that our Hawaii guidebook contains the very latest industry best practices across a range of topics, including signage, accessibility, and charging business models.”

The grants, provided through DBEDT’s EV Ready Grant Program, is helping to contribute to the state’s energy goal of 70 percent clean energy by 2030 by reducing consumption of imported petroleum fuels for ground transportation. DBEDT’s EV Ready Grant Program is part of the Transportation Energy Diversification Project, which is supported by funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

For more information on Hawaii’s EV programs, including a statewide database of installed public EV charging locations, please visit electricvehicle.hawaii.gov.

About Plug In America
Plug In America is the preeminent advocacy organization leading the plug-in vehicle movement. The nonprofit organization works to accelerate the shift to plug-in vehicles powered by clean, affordable, domestic electricity to reduce our nation’s dependence on petroleum and improve the global environment. For more information: https://www.pluginamerica.org.

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For more information, contact:

Mark Glick
State Program Administrator
DBEDT’s State Energy Office
Phone: (808) 587-3812

Noreen Kam
Communications Officer
DBEDT’s State Energy Office
Phone: (808) 587-3860

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