HAWAII GREEN BUSINESS AWARDS SHINE SPOTLIGHT ON ENERGY EFFICIENT BUSINESSES AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

For Immediate Release: April 26, 2013

HONOLULU — Four hotels, two restaurants, a fire station and a bike shop are among the 14 honorees of the state’s 2013 Hawaii Green Business Awards. Presented by Gov. Neil Abercrombie and hosted by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), Department of Health and The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, the annual awards ceremony recognizes achievements by Hawaii businesses and entities in the area of energy efficiency.

“It’s encouraging to see local businesses and government agencies continue to take the lead in incorporating energy efficiency in their own practices,” said Gov. Abercrombie. “These honorees complement the state’s efforts in reaching our Hawaii Clean Energy goals. Last year, the State Office Tower became Hawaii’s first large office building, public or private, to attain LEED Gold in its category, and there are 16 state public buildings with LEED certified projects, with 56 more in the process toward certification.”

The honorees of the 2013 Hawaii Green Business Awards are:
• Aqua Aloha Surf Waikiki Hotel
• Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa
• The Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas
• Wyndham at Waikiki Beach Walk
• Blue Hawaii Lifestyles
• Kona Brewing Company’s Koko Marina Pub and Brewery
• BOCA Hawaii
• KYA Design Group
• Hawaii Pacific University – Hawaii Loa Campus
• City and County of Honolulu’s Ewa Beach Fire Station
• Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) and Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS)
• Environmental Protection Agency – Pacific Island Office
• General Services Administration

The Hawaii Green Business Awards also honored five green events held in 2012:
• Hawaii Build and Buy Green Conference and Expo
• Lemongrass Café Geisha Event
• Sweetbreads
• Green Apple Day of Service
• Green Classroom Professional Certificate Toolkit and Workshop

For a description of the awardees and their energy efficiency accomplishments, please see separate Awardee Accomplishments document.
Awardee Accomplishment (PDF)

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For more information, contact:

Noreen Kam
Communications Officer
DBEDT’s State Energy Office
Email: [email protected]

STATE OFFERS ENERGY EFFICIENCY AUDITS TO RURAL SMALL BUSINESSES AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS

For Immediate Release: April 9, 2013

HONOLULU — The State of Hawaii has announced the opportunity for investment grade energy audits for Hawaii agricultural producers and rural small businesses interested in energy efficient practices.

Through a $100,000 federal grant via the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Energy for America Program, the energy audit initiative will provide approved farms, agricultural producers and other rural small businesses with an investment grade audit that will examine current energy usage, recommend actions and investments to reduce energy usage, and show associated energy savings and financial returns.

“The state is leveraging the USDA grant to provide interested farms and rural businesses with an investment grade energy audit that will help them in their efforts to seek financing for the recommended projects and save money over time,” said Richard Lim, director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT).

As part of USDA requirements, applicants will be responsible for paying upfront a small share of the audit cost, which will be calculated on a business-by-business basis. Upon completion of the audit, the applicant may be able to recoup the upfront cost of the audit through Hawaii Energy, the state’s energy conservation and efficiency program, which has augmented this federal grant with a $25,000 commitment through its existing Whole Building Assistance incentive offer. To learn more about the criteria and timeline for the audit and to download an application form, visit DBEDT’s website at energy.hawaii.gov/energy-audit-opportunities.

“From the outset, we expect to see recipients adopt the recommended efficiency measures from the energy audit,” explained Mark Glick, State Energy Administrator. “Not only will the audit supply recommendations that will be in the best interest of the individual business, but it will provide a proven example to other businesses of the economic return from energy savings investments that also support our overall clean energy mission.”

The energy audit program is a partnership between DBEDT, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Energy, and GDS Associates.

Hawaii Energy is a ratepayer-funded conservation and efficiency program administered by SAIC under contract with the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, serving the islands of Hawaii, Lanai, Maui, Molokai and Oahu. Hawaii Energy offers cash rebates and other incentives to residents and businesses to help offset the cost of installing energy-efficient equipment. In addition to rebates, the program conducts education and training for residents, businesses and trade allies to encourage the adoption of energy conservation behaviors and efficiency measures. For more information, visit www.HawaiiEnergy.com.

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For more information, contact:

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

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