The club posted “Do Not Drink” signs at each tap in April after health officials declared that the existing filtration system did not meet state standards. The granular activated carbon filtration system was installed in 1998 after the chemical 1,2-dibromo3-chloropropane (DBCP) was detected at unsafe levels in the water.

The club paid for a newspaper legal notice, warning customers that they “should not drink tap water at the Hawaii Country Club.”

Karen Maddox, Hawaii Country Club general manager, said this week that a new filtration system has been installed and awaits Health Department approval. She said she hopes to receive that in the next few weeks.

In the meantime, the club is bringing in drinking water for its customers, she said.

DBCP is a soil fumigant that was banned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1977, except for treatment on pineapples in Hawaii. The EPA added pineapples to the banned list in 1985.

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NexGen Solar will be located in Waipahu and Murakami expects to open by the end of the month. His initial focus will be on residential customers, assisting with permitting and financing options.

“Right now the tax credits are very generous,” Murakami said. “We want to apply our knowledge to helping people in Hawaii and reducing oil dependency. The timing seems to be good right now.”

Murakami, an engineer, has spent the past few years in e-commerce with Alohafunwear.com.

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“Going solar is a huge step for us,” said Kona Brewing Company’s President and CEO Mattson Davis. “It is something we have been working toward for a number of years, and I’m ecstatic that Sunetric is helping us make it happen. We will be the first beer production facility in Hawaii to go solar, and our system is one of the largest in the country among craft breweries. We are proud to be able to say our facility is making a contribution to easing the state’s energy problems.”

The project, a roof-mounted grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) system, is estimated to produce an average of 900 kWh of electricity each day, which will allow Kona Brewing Company nearly 60 percent offset of its current electricity usage. It will include 880 260-watt solar modules on the brewery’s rooftop space. At the entrance to the restaurant, Kona Brewing Company guests will be able to check out a real-time monitor that shows how much energy the solar system is generating. At the current commercial retail electricity rate, the system will offset more than $100,000 in Kona Brewing Company’s electricity expenditures per year.

“In the long run, the cost savings in utilizing solar power are obvious,” continued Davis. “But even more important, our system will provide improved environmental performance and reduced carbon emissions. We feel we have a responsibility to take a leadership role in establishing production methods that minimize taxing our environment. It makes economic sense and it is the right thing to do. It’s not just good business… it’s our way of life.”

Sunetric President Sean Mullen added, “Hawaii businesses are finding the use of renewable energy is not only the right choice for the environment, but for business as well. With generous federal and state tax incentives out there for businesses, along with the continual increase of electricity rates, we have seen an incredible increase of Hawaii businesses switching to solar power over the last few years. Commercial solar projects have accounted for nearly 80 percent of our business since 2008.”

PV solar energy is a clean and renewable energy source. It does not pollute or consume natural resources. Sunetric estimates that over the next 30 years Kona Brewing Company’s PV system will prevent approximately 7,730 tons of carbon dioxide emissions from entering the atmosphere annually, or about 5 million car trips to a local grocery store. The solar array offsets 16,425 barrels of oil that would otherwise be burned to make electricity during the next 30 years.

In recent months Kona Brewing Company has seen several of its environmental initiatives reach fruition. In October both of its pubs on Hawaii’s Big Island and Oahu became Certified Green Restaurants® by the Green Restaurant Association. In December the brewery made Hawaii’s first certified organic beer, Oceanic Organic Saison. With the solar project moving forward, the company has fulfilled another of its goals in becoming a sustainable business leader.

Kona Brewing Company was started in the spring of 1994 by a father and son team that had a dream to create fresh, local island brews made with spirit, passion and quality. It is a Hawaii-born and Hawaii-based craft brewery that prides itself on brewing the freshest beer of exceptional quality, closest to market. This helps to minimize its carbon footprint by reducing shipping of raw materials, finished beer and wasteful packaging materials. The company is headquartered where it began, in Kailua-Kona on Hawaii’s Big Island. It has grown into Hawaii’s largest brewery, has three restaurant sites in Hawaii and beer distribution reaching 28 states and Japan. The brewery was named the fastest growing top-50 craft brewing company in the country based on 2008 sales figures. It is the 14th largest craft brewing company in the country, posting 51 percent growth in 2008. For more information call 808-334-BREW or visitwww.KonaBrewingCo.com

Founded in 2004 by Sean and Beth-Ann Mullen, Sunetric specializes in photovoltaic system design and installation, including the state’s largest photovoltaic systems at Kona Commons shopping center on the Big Island and Wilcox Memorial Hospital on Kauai. Hawaii’s solar authority, Sunetric leads the way in solar energy education, installation, and investment in our future. For more information, visit Sunetric.com

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Three months after launching a green jobs training program, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1186 and the Electrical Contractors Association of Hawaii say they have seen steady demand and interest even with relatively few projects in the pipeline for their members.

IBEW Local 1186 has held four courses, each 13 hours in length, to train journeymen and apprentices in the latest green technology. The courses are spread out over several days and are kept relatively small — between 10 and 15 students.

Feedback from most of the union’s 3,500 members has been overwhelmingly positive, according to Damien Kim, business manager and financial secretary for IBEW Local 1186.

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Today, going green is all about saving money, not necessarily contributing to sustainability. In contrast to the local and national green rush of 2007 that saw new interest in pricey roof-top photovoltaic systems and LEED certification, the new green reality is more about the small stuff, like switching out light bulbs and turning off air conditioning.

The number of projects that have applied for LEED certification in Hawaii in 2009 stands at 36, down from 48 last year. That includes 25 new construction projects, down from 35 last year.

Nationally, the U.S. Green Building Council, which certifies LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) projects, says that with construction “at a virtual standstill” applications for many kinds of certification “have not increased at the levels previously expected.”

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At present the company produces two product lines: Green Lava Hydro-mulch™ and two brands of oil change Boxes.  Hydro-mulch, made from 95% recycled paper, helps seed large areas inexpensively; it is also used for erosion and dust control. Oil change boxes, sold in most automotive stores state-wide, promote responsible waste oil disposal.

In addition Boltz states, “In a couple months our product line will also include InCide Pest Control Cellulose Insulation™.”  This product is made from 80% recycled paper designed to keep homes cool, quiet, and pest-free.  Boltz also reports that Island Shell is actively working on expanding the product line to include a variety of environmentally-friendly pet products.

Island Shell Environmental Manufacturing is protecting Hawaii’s environment by using resources already in Hawaii,  by producing goods that have a positive impact on the environment, and by reducing the need for export of recyclable materials .  Says Boltz, “This plant is a great step in the right direction for Hawaii”. He emphasized both residents and local corporations need to have an active interest in reducing waste to preserve the character and resources of our island home.

For more information about the company or to find out more about phone book / newspaper recycling, email Bernie at bernie@islandshell.com

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