Sadly, Hawaii is also one of the most petroleum dependent states for about 85% - 90% of its primary energy.

Gov. Lingle announced a goal earlier this year of at least 70 percent renewable energy use in Hawaii by the year 2030.

Geothermal

Geothermal uses the heat generated by the volcanic activities and turns the hot water and steam generated deep underground and converts it to power on the surface. On the Big Island of Hawaii geothermal provides 20% of the Big Islands power. Geothermal exploration started as early as 1960 and has grown into it’s present day supplier of a fifth of the islands needs, with the potential to provide much more.

The Puna Geothermal Venture (PGV) power plant is located in Pahoa, Hawaii. PGV accounts for about 30 percent of the state’s alternative energy resources, which is more than wind and solar combined. The water is reinjected into the earth so the plant has near zero emissions.

Biomass

Biomass is the largest source of renewable fuel in Hawaii. A 180 MW biomass plant began full-scale operations on September 1, 1992. In 1992 biomass produced about 8.2 percent of the State’s total electricity. Consisting mainly from bagasse the waste from sugarcane. Sugar mills use bagasse from sugarcane to provide thermal power and electricity for sale to utility grids. The decline in the sugar industry over the past couple of decades has slowed this renewable source down to the point that some of the plants had to turn to burning coal and petroleum fuels to produce power.

A partnership of Wind developers from Kaui and Maui are trying to secure the rights to 20,000 acres of eucalyptus trees grown along the Hamakua coast to burn in a biomass combustion power plant. The 30-megawatt power plant hopes to be completed sometime in the second half of 2010.

The power plant will be located in Paauilo and produce enough energy to power 30,000 homes. The plant could generate 30 megawatts of power, but would normally generate 25 megawatts of firm power during peak times and 15 megawatts at other times.

Hydro Power

Hydro power harness the energy of moving water to produce electricity. There are several small hydroelectric plants on the islands of Hawaii. Although these are deamed as being intermittent and not stable power they do produce enough power to power various sugar mills and plantations. Most are owned by the sugar mills themselves. There are a total of 20 Hydropower plants that produce .2 MW or greater. Maui has 4 hydro power plants, Kauai has seven and the Big Island has 9 plants.

Solar Power

Hawaii is the state with the nation’s highest per capita installation of Solar Water Heaters. In a recent post I told you about the states new law requiring all new construction of homes to include a Solar Water Heater. An estimated 80,000 homes have solar heaters installed and an estimated 1,500 or more residential and commercial solar installations are in use throughout the state.

Wind Power

Wind power ranks third in Hawaii’s renewable energy resources with wind generation providing 1.3% of Hawaii’s power. There are several wind farms in Hawaii with Maui and the Big Island having the largest wind farms. The Parker Ranch solar / wind hybrid power plant on the Big Island in Hawaii is the world’s largest hybrid solar / wind energy project.

Renewable Energy for the Homeowner

The homeowner in Hawaii has a couple of choices for setting up and using Renewable energy in their home. Solar is the obvious first choice and wind power makes a good match to solar because of the trade winds we have and the wind during storms when the sun isn’t shining as bright.

The state provides homeowners with various tax credits as does the federal government for installing either Solar and Wind systems or both.

Since the Pu’u O’o vent opened up the Vog is affecting the Kona side of the big Island, Solar output of solar panels has been reduced by as much as 50% in some locations, so be sure you check with a reputable dealer when making your solar decisions and discuss the area you live in and the possible impact of the vog on your solar system.

Homeowner Renewable Resources:

Maui Koa Solar
Attn: Christopher Cookman
P.O. Box 791278
Paia, HI 96779
Tel: (808) 573-6657
Fax: (808) 573-6657
E-mail: cookman2@gmail.com

Maui Energy Co.
Attn: Leo Caires
1188 E. Kuaha Rd.
Haiku, HI 96708
Tel: (866) 629-5756
E-mail: info@mauienergycompany.com
Web Site: http://www.mauienergycompany.com

Solarman
Attn: Paul MooreP.O. Box 10689
Hilo, HI 96721
Tel: (808) 982-5708
Fax: (808) 982-7526
E-mail: solarpaul@yahoo.com

Kevin Donnelly
P.O. Box 20
Maunaloa, Molokai, HI 96770
Tel: (808) 552-2222
Fax: (808) 552-0055
E-mail: kevin@mymolokai.net

The Alternate Source / JBT Ltd.
Attn: Ted Walls
27-2111 Mamalahoa Hwy
Papaikou, HI 96781
Tel: (808) 964-3500
Fax: (808) 964-3511
E-mail: fotovolt@gte.net

Jim Anderson
P.O. Box 741
Naalehu, HI 96772
Tel: (808) 929-4463

Pacific Energy Strategies LLC
Attn: Steven Olsen
94-1093 Hanauna Street, Ste.102
Waipahu, HI 96797
Tel: (808) 671-5566
Fax: (808) 678-1475
E-mail: pacificenergy@hawaii.rr.com
Web Site: http://www.pacific-energy.com

Kohala Sun & Wind
Attn: Karl ToubmanP.O. Box 1556
Kapa’au, HI 96755
Tel: (808) 895-1911
Fax: (808) 885-4228
E-mail: karltoub@hawaiiantel.net

I am sure there are a lot more Solar and Wind power dealers I didn’t include here. Check your local phone books and also search Google for more.

Technorati Tags: features, geothermal, Hawaii, renewable energy, solar power, wind power

If you plan on moving here to Hawaii.
Make sure you bring along the a couple items:

• A month or two supply of any prescription meds (even if you have to pay out of pocket, bring em!)
• A complete copy of your medical records (2 - 5 years if you have it - the more the better)
• For your children you should have a copy of their vaccination record

The NP at the hospital told me it can take a couple of months to get setup with a new Dr. here in Hilo.

Just be prepared with medical records and you should be fine.

Don’t let this keep you from moving here there ARE good Doctors here, there is just a shortage of available doctors, at least here in Hilo.

Technorati Tags: Doctor, Hawaii, medical records

• 6 days 5 nights trip to either Marriott’s KoOlina Beach Club, Waiohai Beach Club or Maui Ocean Club
• a $1,500 Visa Gift Card
• Hertz Rental Car
• and a $500 certificate towards shopping, dinning, golf, etc.

Enter to win Marriott’s Win a Trip to Hawaii Sweepstakes 2009

Open only to legal residents of the fifty United States (excluding NJ, U.S. possessions, territories, overseas military installations in foreign countries and Puerto Rico) who are 21 years of age or older. Sweepstakes begins 12:00:01 AM ET 6/16/08; ends 11:59:59 PM ET 6/16/09.

Kilauea, located on the Big Island of Hawaii is the most active volcano on Earth, started its current eruptive phase in 1983, the longest eruption in history. This weekend Kilauea was spouting lava into the air about 50 feet high and continues to spout lava today.

According to authorities the trade winds are thankfully keeping the vog away from the more populated areas. When I was in Kona friday there was plenty of vog then. It made for a beautiful sunset though.I will post the picture here in a couple of days.

A very short video can be seen here:
Lava shooting into the air.

Here is a much longer video on Volcanoes National Park via YouTube:

Technorati Tags: Big Island, features, Hawaii, Kilauea, Vog, volcano, Volcanoes National Park

It is King Kamehameha day here in Hawaii. It is a state holiday here in Hawaii where thousands of people will gather on the northern tip of the Big Island of Hawai‘i in Kapa‘au (North Kohala) to honor King Kamehameha I, the chief who united the Hawaiian Islands in 1795. It startts at 8 am and features a parade, Ho’olaule’a and more.

Celebrations are held in all the major towns and here in Hilo at Moku Ola (Coconut Island), the celebration will feature Hawaii’s only Ha’a Koa (Dance of the Warrior) competition, the Kamehameha Festival on Moku Ola (Coconut Island) will also feature top recording artists, hula halau, food and a chant ho’ike. It all starts at 10:45 am this morning.

More information can be found here:
www.kamehamehadaycelebration.org

Technorati Tags: Hawaii, Hawai‘i, Ho'olaule'a, Kamehameha, Kamehameha Festival, King Kamehameha

Technorati Tags: Big Island, Hawaii, Hawaii Video

He made the statement “Kindness isn’t something we do, kindness comes from within.” (not a direct quote)

He went on to state that while you can show an act of kindness, that doesn’t mean that you are a kind person.

I turned to my wife April and said that I really liked that statement, her reply was simply “That is Aloha!”.

You can act out Aloha, but it comes from deep within yourself. It is not something that you do or something that you acquire or earn, but something that grows within you and shines through you.

“A day without Aloha is just another mainland day.”
~ Buck Buchanan ~

The aloha spirit and the concept of ohana are not mere words to us, they mean that we care for other each including those we don’t know.
~ Linda Lingle ~

Do you have Aloha within you?
I’d really like to hear your thoughts on what Aloha means to you.

Technorati Tags: Aloha, Hawaii, kindness, Wayne Dyer

Little Big Town and Harley Davidson have teamed up to give away a four day / three night trip to Hawaii where the lucky winner and a guest will attend Little Big Town’s July 4th concert at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. There are some great second and third prizes, courtesy of Harley-Davidson.

Grand Prize:

• One (1) Grand Prize winner and guest will receive roundtrip airfare from anywhere in the United States to Honolulu International Airport (HNL)
• Hotel accommodations for the nights of July 3, 4 & 5
• Two (2) concert tickets to Little Big Town’s performance on July 4th
• Two (2) Harley-Davidson® Leather Jackets

Second Prize:

• One (1) Second Prize winner will receive a Harley-Davidson® Leather Jacket.

Third Prize:

• One (1) Third Prize winner will receive a Harley-Davidson® T-Shirt.

HOW TO ENTER:

Fill in the required fields at http://www.littlebigtown.com/contests/aloha by June 17th 2008 for eligibility. Each entrant is eligible to win ONE (1) of the available prizes. Prize winners will be selected at random, and will be notified via e-mail by June 19th.

***Due to the short time frame between the end of the contest and the fulfillment dates, the Grand Prize winner will have 24 hours from the moment of notification to accept their prize.***

Please see terms and conditions at the link above for exact details.
This contest is open to the public. Entrants must be 18 or older to enter.

Technorati Tags: Hawaii, Hawaii Sweepstakes, Hawaii vacation, Kaneohe Bay

According to their report Honolulu Hawaii generates the least amount of carbon dioxide pollution among the top 100 U.S. metropolitan areas.

The report says that Honolulu, Hawaii produced only about 1.36 metric tons of carbon emissions per person in 2005. Lexington, Kentucky the highest emitter on the list produced about 3.5 metric tons.

Emissions measured in the report were from transportation and buildings. Te report did not include commercial buildings, gasoline burned while vehicles are stuck in traffic, industry emissions or aircraft.

Emissions on the West Coast of the USA tend to be lower because the weather is more favorable and electricity and gas prices are higher.

Technorati Tags: carbon emissions, environment, greenest, Hawaii, honolulu

Technorati Tags: body boarding, Hawaii, Hawaii Video, north shore, Oahu, surfing

Hulihe’e Palace
75-5718 Ali’i Drive Kailua-Kona
(808) 329-1877
A Victorian style building built in 1838 for Hawaii’s first governor and was the vacation residence of Hawaiian royalty. The Palace contains period furnishings and artifacts. This building received some damage from the earthquake in 2006. You can read (pdf file) and see pictures of the damage here.

Hours: Tues - Sat 9 am - 4 pm & Sun 10 am - 4 pm
Note: Most of the museum is closed for repair due to the earthquake damage

Imiola Astronomy Center of Hawaii
600 Imiola Palace
UH Hilo Science and Technology Park, Hilo
(808) 969-9700
Hawaiian Cultural Traditions mix with modern astronomical research with a planetarium and interactive exhibits.

Hours: Tues- Sat 9 am - 4 pm Planetarium shows at 11 am, 1 pm and 2:30 pm

Kona Historical Society

81-6551 Mamalahoa Highway Kealakekua
(808) 323-3222
The Kona Historical Society is a community-based, non-profit organization, whose mission is to collect, preserve, interpret and disseminate the history of the Kona districts. Featuring the Kona Coffee living history farm, Kailua Village tour and the Greenwell Store Museum.

Hours: Mon - Fri 8 am - 4 pm
Museum Hours: Mon - Fri 9 am - 3 pm

Lyman Mission House and Museum
276 Haili St. Downtown Hilo
(808) 935-5021
The Lyman Museum showcases the natural and cultural history of Hawaii in its exhibit halls and its 1839 historic missionary home. The museum also features collections of seashells and minerals from aroundthe world, showcases artists of Hawaii with changing special exhibitions. The Lyman Museum tells the story of Hawaii and it’s people.

Hours: Mon - Sat 9:30 am - 4:40 pm
Missionary House Tours: 10 am , 11 am, 1PM, 3 pm and 3 pm

Pacific Tsunami Museum
130 Kamehameha Ave Hilo
(808) 935-0926
Through an eclectic mixture of descriptive stories, survivor quotes and historic photographs, visitors and residents will have the opportunity to take a virtual trip back in time to the fateful morning of April 1st, 1946, and the deadly night of May 22nd, 1960. Companioned with a descriptive brochure and a greeting at tsunami sites by an educational sign, participants will experience with their own eyes the true legacy of a tsunami.

Hours: Mon - Sat 9 am - 4 pm

Parker Ranch Visitor Center
Parker Ranch Shopping Center Kamuela (Waimea)
(808) 885-7655
Parker Ranch was founded in 1847. It is one of the oldest and most historic ranches in the United States. Spreading across approximately 150,000 acres of the island, Parker Ranch is also among the country’s largest cattle ranches. Today, Parker Ranch offers opportunities for visitors to learn more about the history and culture of the Ranch by visiting the Parker Ranch Visitor Center and Museum as well as a self-guided tour to learn about the Hawaiian Cowboys (paniolo).

Hours: Mon - Sat 9 am - 5 pm

Thomas A. Jagger Museum
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
(808) 985-6049
Learn about volcanoes, in particular Kilauea and Mauna Loa. The museum offers earth science displays, seismographs that measure tremors and earthquakes. Look down into the Kilauea caldera and learn about the Hawaiian fire Goddess Pele.

Hours: Daily 8:30 am - 5 pm

Technorati Tags: features, hawaii museums, hulihee palace, Imiola Astronomy Center, Kilauea, Kona Coffee, Kona Historical Society, lyman house, Parker Ranch, Thomas Jagger Museum

The police chief wants to purchase a seven-car test fleet of hybrids, including six sedans and one sport utility vehicle like a Ford Escape Hybrid. It has two power plants, a 4-cylinder gas engine for high-speed driving, which recharges batteries for an electric motor for stop-and-go traffic. To make the purchase the department will turn seized gold, property and jewelery into green.

New York tested an Escape under police conditions and it got 38 miles to the gallon. With mileage like this the department could save taxpayers $2 million a year.

“Conceptually it’s going to be a vast improvement, but we want to see what the real world results are,” said Bill Wiltshire of Honolulu Ford.

“In a lot of ways a hybrid is an ideal police vehicle because police officers spend a lot of time stopped, and in this vehicle when you stop, you stop using gas,” HPD’s finance chief Maj. Mark Nakagawa said.

Police also want to know if it can accommodate the extra electrical needs like running laptop computers and sitting for long periods of time with the lights flashing.

The chief said he is not too worried about the hybrids speed because the department thinks high-speed chases are too dangerous, anyway.

Where are they going to go anyway… hey, it’s an island! We go ’round in circles lala lala….

Technorati Tags: Ford Escape, Honolulu Police, hybrid

Almost all of the major U.S. OTEC experiments have taken place in Hawaii. The Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA) has been recognized as the world’s foremost laboratory and test facility for OTEC and OTEC-related research. The facility has been funded by the State of Hawaii with significant USDOE and private sector participation.

More information on OTEC can be found on Wikipedia and also on Hawaii.gov.

Technorati Tags: Ocean thermal energy, Ocean thermal energy conversion, OTEC, State of Hawaii

Earlier this year Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle announced a goal of at least 70 percent renewable energy use in Hawaii by the year 2030. “Achieving this goal is nearly impossible without widespread use of solar water heaters,” says Hawaii Sierra Club Director Jeff Mikulina “The solar roofs bill is smart policy, sensibly crafted to smooth a transition toward zero-energy homes of the future.”

Solar water heaters shave 30 to 40 percent off a home’s electricity bill and greatly reduce residential greenhouse gas emissions. Advocates say the policy comes none too soon, as Hawaii faces the priciest power in the nation and threats from climate change.

Hawaii ranks number one in the nation when it comes to using energy from the sun to heat water. It’s a great way to use the sun’s energy!

Technorati Tags: climate change, features, Hawaii, Hawaii News

Complete the survey and you could win the ultimate Hawaii Vacation package worth $10,000.

Prizes include:
Airfare for 2 (US mainland and Canada only)
Activities
Hawaiian Luaus
Dinners
Rental Car
Inter Island Flights

All contest entries must be received by August 1, 2008.
Must be 21 years or older to enter.
(be sure in complete ALL the fields to be eligible)
Ultimate Hawaii Vacation Sweepstakes

Technorati Tags: Hawaii, Hawaii Sweepstakes, Hawaii vacation

Read the other Hawaii blogs with articles related to all things Hawaii and Aloha.

Mahalo for including us Evelyn.

Technorati Tags: Aloha, Blog Carnival of Aloha, Hawaii, hawaii blog

If so, then you can submit your photos and possibly be the lucky winner of a trip for two to Hawaii!

There are four categories and you can submit up to two (2) photos per category for a total of eight (8) photos.

The four categories are:

• O‘ahu
• Maui
• Big Island
• Kaua‘i

Photo credit: Fire Horse Leo

Prizes:
Airfare for two to Honolulu from your nearest Hawaiian Airlines
gateway city .
Six-day, five-night stay at Outrigger Reef on the Beach Hotel in
Waikiki.

First place winners will receive $100, a gift basket of from
Lanikai Bath and Body and a book prize package from Watermark
Publishing.
Second place winners will receive $75 and a book prize package
from Watermark Publishing.

Official rules and the entry form can be found at Hawaii Magazine’s Photo Contest

Hurry ~ All contest entries must be received by Aug. 8, 2008.

Technorati Tags: Hawaii Sweepstakes, Hawaii vacation, photo contest, Waikiki

This Hawaii Sweepstakes is a 7-night round trip air and hotel package from WorldVacations!

You can choose to visit the island of Oahu, Maui, the Big Island, Kauai, Lanai or Molokai, or all of them within the 7 days.

photo credit: Fire Horse Leo

Vacation packages include:

* Round trip air transportation
* Choice of accommodations
* Orientation breakfast (Honolulu only)
* Assistance of a local host (located in Honolulu)

NWA WorldVacations® is celebrating 20 years of creating memories. From family gatherings to trips of a lifetime, WorldVacations has been making it easy to travel with one-stop shopping for your entire trip and the lowest airfares on Northwest Airlines® with the purchase of an air and hotel package.

Enter here and read the Official Rules for your Hawaii Vacation

The deadline to enter is June 30th, 2008. One entry per person.

Technorati Tags: Hawaii, Hawaii Sweepstakes, NWA WorldVacations, worldvacations

Volunteers hoping to set a world record for the longest lei strung together flowers that stretched for over a mile at Kapiolani Park in Waikiki on Thursday May 1st, organizers said.
Video, photos and witness statements documenting the lei, which measured 5,336 feet in length, will be sent to Guinness World Records, organizers said.

On this 81st annual Lei Day, hundreds of volunteers came together to be a part of a record-breaking event.

One by one they proudly held up the world’s longest fresh flower lei for all to see.

“We went over a mile!” said Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hanneman (D-Honolulu).

Success seems all but certain, because organizers say there currently isn’t a Guinness record for the world’s longest lei.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann is expected to announce within a few weeks whether the record is official.

Chopper 8 captured exclusive video of a sight Guinness Book officials have to see to believe.

Technorati Tags: lei, mile long lei

Aloha is sending and receiving a positive energy. Aloha is living in harmony. When you live the Spirit of Aloha, you create positive feelings and thoughts, which are never gone. They exist within you, multiply and spread over to others.

Inspired by the philosophy and the wisdom of the Spirit of Aloha, nowadays many institutions and businesses in Hawaii carry its name: Aloha Tower, Aloha Stadium and Aloha Airlines.

Many Hawaiian singers write and perform songs about Aloha as well.

“Aloha to learn what is not said, to see what cannot be seen and to know the unknowable.”
~ Queen Lili‘uokalani ~

Technorati Tags: Aloha, Spirit of Aloha