SOLAR WATER HEATING REBATES AVAILABLE

For Immediate Release: April 29, 2011

HONOLULU – The State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s State Energy Office (DBEDT) will direct additional American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to support the highly successful Hawaii Energy Solar Water Heating Rebate Program.

In less than one month, after using ARRA funds to increase the solar water heating system rebate to stimulate sluggish system sales, Hawaii Energy reports that over 600 households have purchased solar water heating systems, exhausting the federal stimulus money that had been allocated for this enhanced rebate. Due to the ARRA-funded program, Hawaii Energy experienced an unprecedented demand for solar water heating systems and currently 220 customers are waitlisted for the rebate program.

Because of the demand for rebates, DBEDT has authorized Hawaii Energy to redirect remaining ARRA funds to fulfill the waitlisted customer applications for the $1,500 rebate and to provide further applications with a $1,000 rebate for solar water heating systems, as long as ARRA funds are available and on a first-come-first-serve basis. DBEDT anticipates that several hundred additional customers will take advantage of the ARRA-funded $1,000 rebate before the budgeted Hawaii Energy rebate of $750 returns on July 1, 2011. When Hawaii Energy first announced the program on March 21, 2011, they anticipated the rebate program would run through May 31, 2011, or until the federal funding ran out.

“We are very happy that these additional ARRA funds will help Hawaii homeowners and give them the opportunity to get a rebate for a solar water heating system which helps to reduce electricity costs and encourage energy efficiency in their homes” said Estrella Seese, Acting Energy Program Administrator, DBEDT’s State Energy Office.

In addition to these rebates, solar water heating systems are eligible for tax credits of 35 percent from the state and 30 percent from the federal government.

Hawaii residents can still take advantage of the DBEDT ARRA-funded “Hot Water, Cool Rates” (solar interest buy-down) program offered by Hawaii Energy through Participating Lenders, which will continue with the bonus rebate funded through ARRA. Residents who finance their system through this program will receive a bonus instant rebate of $750 in addition to a $1,000 incentive to Participating Lenders to buy-down the interest rate to zero percent or a low rate. A list of Participating Lenders can be found at Hawaii Energy’s website at https://hawaiienergy.com/94/hot-water-cool-rates.

Typical single family households installing solar water heating systems will save between $587 to $849 per year in electricity costs, and the equivalent to 150 gallons of fossil fuel per year. With electric costs going up, the savings with solar water heating systems will continue to rise with the price of oil.

“Solar water heating is a significant contributor to the State’s clean energy efforts,” said Ray Starling, Hawaii Energy Program Manager. “We want to see solar water heaters on every residence in Hawaii and DBEDT’s support with these ARRA funds is bringing us closer to this milestone on our march toward energy independence.”

For more information, visit the program website at www.hawaiienergy.com.

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For more information, contact:

Estrella Seese
Acting Energy Program Administrator
Phone: (808) 586-2352

Lois Hamaguchi
Energy Analyst
Phone: (808) 587-9006

SIX BUSINESSES, STATE SENATE AND EAST-WEST CENTER EARN HAWAII GREEN BUSINESS AWARD

For Immediate Release: April 20, 2011

HONOLULU – Six companies, the State Senate, and the East-West Center received this year’s Hawaii Green Business and Green Government Awards on Wednesday, April 20. The awards recognize organizations for their outstanding efforts in greening their business practices. The awards ceremony was part of a “Hawaii Clean Energy Day at the Capitol” public event and coordinated by the State Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism’s Energy Office.

“It just makes sense to save energy, water, and waste,” said Governor Neil Abercrombie, who presented the awards. “Businesses and government offices are among the largest consumers of energy. When the Senate cuts 80 percent of its paper use, office buildings like the Central Pacific Plaza and the East-West Center cut 20 to 40 percent in electricity, and a store like Whole Foods Maui diverts 34 tons of trash from landfills in a month, we’re freeing up money and resources that can be used to improve services and preserve jobs.”

“The State has set a goal to achieve 70 percent clean energy by 2030. We commend the efforts of our awardees who are helping us reach this goal by going beyond compliance to implementing environmental practices and encouraging their employees to reduce, reuse, and recycle,” said Estrella Seese, Acting Energy Program Administrator, State Energy Office.

Businesses and government agencies sign up to participate in the Hawaii Green Business Program by agreeing to monitor and post rates of water and energy use and waste generation; provide  employee incentives or training; inform customers about their green business standards and efforts; and assist at least one other business in learning about the program.

This year’s DBEDT’s Hawaii Green Business and Green Government awardees are:

Central Pacific Plaza. The downtown office building has earned the Energy Star building designation for the last seven years, the longest of any building in Hawaii. Last year, the building saved 1,397,600 kWh, or approximately 25 percent less than their 2003 baseline, and 397,000 gallons of water, over 50 percent off their 2003 baseline. It also uses green cleaning products.

East-West Center. Electricity use dropped 37.5 percent (27,160 kWh) at Lincoln Hall and 22.5 percent (474,600 kWh) at Burns Hall via new CFL lighting, LED exit signs, motion detectors, timers, and less air conditioning use. The Center’s Sustainable EWC Initiative attracts more than 100 student volunteers, representing over 30 countries, who have contributed a combined 2,400 hours to lessening EWC environmental impact. Student-led sustainability activities include hands-on organic farming experience at Ma’o Farms; a monthly discussion group; a weekly film series, and a Sustainable EWC newsletter.

Hawaii State Senate. The Senate’s Paperless Initiative reduced paper use by 80%. A Green Office Working Group implements energy conservation and recycling measures and participates in ongoing conservation initiatives at the State Capitol.

Honeywell Utility Solutions. The company, which assists in the fulfillment of energy efficient rebates offered by Hawaii Energy, uses only recycled paper products and printer toners; implements a workplace recycling program; permits only washable (no plastic) utensils; and subsidizes bus passes to cut employee transportation energy use.

PBR Hawaii and Associates. The landscape architecture company conserves with lower refrigerator temperatures, low-flow faucet aerators, recycling or donation of electronic equipment, and using only recycled paper products made up of 30 to 100% post-consumer waste.

Sustainable Island Products. This Hilo-based supplier of eco-friendly paper goods, office supplies, and cleaning materials buys carbon offset credits for company vehicles; offers free packaging reclamation; and uses 100 percent recycled office paper. It also funded the planting of a Koa tree on the Hamakua Coast to offset its carbon footprint.

WATG Architects. The firm reduced paper use by one third through double-sided printing, uses shredded paper for packing, and saved 80% on plastic and paper products costs through conservation measures. It also uses natural or low emission building materials, carpets, and furniture.

Whole Foods Maui. Part of the first major retail chain to offset 100 percent of its energy use with wind energy credits, the grocery store diverts 58 percent of the 20,000 pounds of trash generated on average per month through efforts like donating spoiled produce and biodegradable waste to Freebird Farm, where it is turned to compost; and donating all HI 5 containers to the Community Work Day Program. Last month, the Maui store diverted 34 tons of trash.

The Hawaii Green Business Awards Program is a partnership between the State Departments of Health, Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, the City and County’s Department of Environmental Services Recycling Office and Board of Water Supply, as well as the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce. The program encourages businesses and organizations to share information and support one another in operating in an environmentally sustainable manner. Participants benefit from onsite compliance assistance, green business promotions as well as public recognition for their efforts in building a green business.

Participation is open to all offices, retail establishments and government entities.

For more information visit the program website at: https://www.hawaii.gov/greenbusiness or contact Gail Suzuki-Jones or Jonathan Chin, program coordinators, DBEDT at [email protected] (808) 587-3802 or jonathan.r.chin at (808) 587-2676.

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For more information, contact:

Richard Lim
Director, DBEDT
Phone: (808) 586-2355

Lois Hamaguchi
Energy Analyst
Phone: (808) 587-9006

FIRST IPAD EDUCATION APP FOR CLEAN ENERGY AVAILABLE FREE ONLY THIS EARTH DAY, APRIL 22

For Immediate Release: April 18, 2011

HONOLULU– iPad’s first clean educational app, initiated by the Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB) and Maui-based app developer NSC Partners, will be demonstrated at the Hawaii Clean Energy Day event at the State Capitol on Wednesday, April 20, 9 a.m.to 2 p.m. and will be available to download free from iTunes on Earth Day, Friday, April 22.

“Our Clean Energy Hawaii STEM app is the only one of its kind listed in the Education and Games section of Apple iTunes,” said Leslie Wilkins, program director of MEDB’s Women in Technology division. “One of our goals is to engage students in science, technology, and math and what better way than through the most exciting media available, the iPad. We used the islands as a base to provide energy information and activities because the State has set a goal of 70% clean energy by 2030.”

“These initiatives will help get our young people ready for the clean energy jobs we want to see in Hawaii now and in the future,” said Estrella Seese, State energy administrator. “We’re showcasing the Clean Energy app at our Clean Energy Day exhibit at the Capitol on April 20 and thanking partners like MEDB that are bringing us closer to our 70% clean energy goal.”

Recently designated “New and Noteworthy” by Apple in both the Education and Educational Games categories, the Clean Energy Hawaii STEM app opens with a fully touchable view of all the islands across Hawaii. This allows students to see what types of clean energy — biomass, geothermal, hydroelectric, solar, wind — are available on each island. Students can virtually build a clean energy project such as a wind turbine, with or without battery storage, and experiment on what it takes to put renewable energy to practical use.

A detailed description for each energy type is available via an interactive menu. Students can explore and learn about the energy mix and the traditional legends of each island. Touchable icons show all the types of clean energy, their general locations, and detailed information on the energy site.

The Clean Energy Hawaii STEM app complements MEDB’s Island Energy Inquiry (IEI) program, an energy science curriculum aligned with Department of Education STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) standards for grades 5 through 12. More than 100 teachers statewide have attended workshops on the curriculum.

The Island Energy Inquiry program and Clean Energy Hawaii STEM app are sponsored by MEDB’s Women in Technology and funded in part by the U.S. Department of Education.

NSC Partners LLC is a privately held company located in Maui, Hawaii that innovates by developing mobile, web, and database software applications for education, healthcare, business, and sports. Its partners have deep expertise in business, strategy, management, technology, software, litigation, finance, accounting, tax, healthcare, and medicine.

For more details, go to www.womenintech.com. Or contact WIT Program Director Leslie Wilkins, [email protected], 808.875.2337.

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For more information, contact:

Leslie Wilkins, Program Director
Women in Technology
Maui Economic Development Board
T: 808.280.0376
E: [email protected]

Lois Hamaguchi
Energy Analyst
DBEDT Energy Office
T: (808) 587-9006
E: [email protected]

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