UH tries out environment-friendly concrete
July 13, 2008
Soon, rain that falls on the concrete courtyards amid the University of Hawai’i’s student apartment buildings will sink through the surface and flow into the ground underneath.
E Malama Aina Festival, Focus on Sustainability
July 12, 2008
Hilo, HI July 11, 2008 — The Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce announces E Malama Aina ("Lets Take Care of the Land"), a 2-day festival Nov. 7-8 at Hilo’s Mooheau Park, which will offer consumers and businesses a firsthand look at Hawaii Island innovations and best practices aimed at sustainability.
Solar power farm breaks ground on the Big Island
July 12, 2008
Power from the sun will soon be generating enough electricity for 500 homes on the Big Island. After a ground breaking ceremony on Wednesday for Keahole Solar Power, the first phase is under way.
mbbEMS Launches Industry First – Hotel Wireless Energy Management System
July 11, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 9, 2008
Honolulu, Hawaii – Today mbbEMS founder, Daniel Cowart announced “mbbEMS provides an affordable solution to help both old and new high-rise hotels and condominiums survive the growing energy crisis. Our new mbbEMS wireless solution installs quickly, with little or no interruption to the property or guests daily activities, and virtually no down time for rooms during installation. When completed mbbEMS provides a web-based management system which allows control of the hotel EMS system from any authorized browser.”
A typical hotel room installation takes about an hour and includes a door contact on the entrance door and the lanai (balcony) door, an occupancy sensor and a thermostat. The thermostat is hard-wired to the fan coil unit (FCU) in each room. These are battery operated wireless devices. This creates the Control Mesh segment of the network.
Air conditioners can automatically cut back when lanai doors are open, and return to the original setting when these doors are closed. Lights and air conditioners can cut back and even the drapes can be closed, when the room is vacant. These are basic electricity saving programs for rooms. Common area spaces can also have their electrical use optimized.
Each hotel room is then connected to a floor controller that manages each device. Please note that rooms can continue to function if the floor controller goes offline. Each controller is then connected to the Hotel Site Server via the Management Mesh segment of the network. Among other benefits, you can easily tell if the systems are working.
The mbbEMS wireless system is able to cut installation costs by avoiding cumbersome cabling and coring. Prior systems were not only costly but very intrusive to the property and its guests. Hence, mbbEMS is The way to Eco.
There is a new paradigm: the cost and inconvenience of installing an EMS system have been substantially reduced at the same time that the cost of energy is soaring. The net result is that there is now more than ever an undeniable need to implement an EMS system. For the hotel that has a stand-alone or outdated EMS system with no central management, mbbEMS is a solid alternative to augment EMS efforts. Industry reports state that a centrally managed EMS system could result in savings topping 40%. If you have over 1,000 rooms, that is a lot of savings!
The mbbEMS approach is simple and straightforward. The first step is to quick profile the hotel, then perform a site survey. An information analysis is done to calculate projected savings, and the scope of work to be performed. The mbbEMS system design is tailored for the property based on building and environment attributes such as type of construction and existing wireless interference. Then a final contract is signed which includes an installation schedule.
In some cases mbbEMS can finance the installation making the system initially FREE with payback occurring through shared cost savings. There are also leasing programs available.
Visit mbbEMS.com.previewsdns.com (Soon to be mbbEMS.com) to learn more, or contact us at TheWayToEco@mbbinc.net 808.922.5200.
Volcanic Air Pollution - A Hazard in Hawaii
July 11, 2008
Noxious sulfur dioxide gas and other pollutants emitted from Kilauea Volcano on the Island of Hawaii react with oxygen and atmospheric moisture to produce volcanic smog (vog) and acid rain. Vog poses a health hazard by aggravating preexisting respiratory ailments, and acid rain damages crops and can leach lead into household water supplies. The U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is closely monitoring gas emissions from Kilauea and working with health professionals and local officials to better understand volcanic air pollution and to enhance public awareness of this hazard.
Vog is created when SO2 and other volcanic gases combine and interact chemically in the atmosphere with oxygen, moisture, dust, and sunlight over periods of minutes to days. Vog is a visible haze consisting of gas plus a suspended mixture of tiny liquid and solid particles, called aerosol. The aerosol in vog is composed primarily of sulfuric acid and other sulfate compounds. Small amounts of several toxic metals, including selenium, mercury, arsenic, and iridium, have also been found in the volcanic air pollution coming from Kilauea. Far away from the volcano, such as along the Kona coast on the Island of Hawaii’s west side, aerosol particles dominate vog, but near Kilauea SO2 gas is a major component of vog.
America’s Best Places For Alternative Energy
July 10, 2008
The "cubic mile of oil"–a metric roughly equivalent to the amount of oil consumed worldwide each year–is frequently used to explain the challenge facing solar, wind, geothermal and biomass power.
Fireman’s Fund offers ‘green’ policy in Hawaii
July 9, 2008
Hawaii is among 26 states where Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. will offer "green" insurance for homeowners, allowing policy holders to rebuild homes to green standards should their residence be completely destroyed.
Mayor awarded for Environmental Protection
July 8, 2008
MIAMI — Mayor Mufi Hannemann was presented today with the 2008 Mayors Climate Protection Award for Outstanding Achievement, in recognition of Honolulu’s 21st Century Ahupua’a environmental protection program.
The US Conference of Mayors presented the award at the group’s 76th Annual Meeting, held this year in Miami, where Mayor Hannemann spoke about the need to support the arts and the travel industry.
"I’m very pleased that the US Conference of Mayors has recognized our hard work to make Honolulu an environmentally friendly and sustainable city," Mayor Hannemann said. "We take environmental protection very seriously, and we will continue to be good stewards of our precious island and its natural resources."
Honolulu was one of four large US cities to receive the award today.
The City was praised for its Sustainability Plan, the "nuts and bolts" application of the principals outlined earlier by the Mayor’s Vision for the 21st Century Ahupua’a. The document is the first comprehensive sustainability plan developed with full participation of all affected City departments. It sets ambitious goals over a ten year time frame and identifies specific programs, responsibilities and methods for measuring progress.
"We must benefit from the wisdom of our Polynesian ancestors combined with the technological innovations of today to make our island home sustainable and self sufficient for future generations," Mayor Hannemann said.
Hawai’i’s original inhabitants developed a sophisticated and successful resource management system based on the ahupua’a land division that supported a population more than half as large as it is today. The concept of the 21st Century Ahupua’a is to develop a culturally appropriate strategy for restoring balance and sustainability to our island home.
"We must continue to learn from our Polynesian predecessors and renew our commitment to self-sufficiency and to the protection of our precious ‘aina," Mayor Hannemann said.
Mayor Hannemann is a member of the USCM Advisory Committee and the chair of its Tourism, Arts, Parks, Entertainment and Sports Committee, one of the USCM’s largest committees.
The committee today approved resolutions urging Congress to:
· support expansion of the US Visa Waiver Program to facilitate foreign travel to the US by residents of South Korea and other nations, which would greatly benefit Honolulu and many other cities with strong tourism industries;
· approve the Travel Promotion Act, which would establish the first substantial international marketing campaign to promote the US overseas as a travel destination;
· and to restore full funding to the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Office of Museum Services after years of harmful budget cuts.
Mayor Hannemann also today briefed the committee on a proposal to establish a task force of mayors and private industry representatives to support Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games; and to set up a similar task force to help address problems created by the recent closure of Aloha Airlines and other carriers amid rising costs for jet fuel, which are harming the visitor industry in many cities.
Mayor Hannemann was the driving force behind the Ten Point Plan that the USCM adopted for presentation to presidential candidates, addressing a variety of issues that are important to our nation’s cities.
At the committee meeting, Mayor Hannemann discussed the positions of Senators John McCain and Barack Obama on issues related to travel and the arts, which are among the USCM’s priorities.
On behalf of the USCM, Mayor Hannemann, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, and Miami Mayor and incoming USCM chair Manuel Diaz met last month with Senator McCain, who said he was very sympathetic to concerns about the airline industry problems and pledged to do all he could to assist.
Mayor Hannemann today reported that Senator Obama is very familiar with the USCM’s call for assisting and strengthening the arts, and has incorporated the arts in his campaign platform.
Senator Obama is also a co-sponsor of the Travel Promotion Act, which Hawaii Senator Daniel K. Inouye has championed. Senator Obama has pledged to support Chicago’s bid to host the Olympics, and is scheduled to address the conference in Miami tomorrow.
Big Island solar farm to begin construction
July 7, 2008
Sopogy is finally moving forward with the construction of its one-megawatt solar farm at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii after a year of working through state and county permitting processes.
Wave-powered boat finishes crossing
July 6, 2008
A Japanese adventurer has completed a three-month journey from Hawaii to Japan in a boat powered by the energy of ocean waves.
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