UH Maui College celebrates net-zero energy independence with blessing, lū‘au

VIDEO NEWS RELEASE

UH Maui College will be the first UH campus to achieve net-zero energy status.

Guests at UH Maui College's net-zero celebration.

Link to video and sound (details below): https://bit.ly/2HMBsZp

What:  Blessing and lū‘au held today to celebrate UH Maui Collegeʻs plan to achieve net-zero energy, for the campus to produce, store and use 100 percent renewable energy on its campus.

When: UH Maui College should become the first net-zero UH campus by April 2019.

How:  In March, UH News noted the UH Community Colleges’ partnership and energy management contracts with Johnson Controls Inc. and Pacific Current [https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2018/03/19/maui-college-aims-to-be-first-100-percent-renewable-energy/]

Last year, solar photovoltaic (PV) panels were installed on UH Maui College building rooftops in addition to the campus’ covered parking lot and science building. Additional solar panels, projected to last 25 years, will be installed in open spaces along Wahinepio and West Kaʻahumanu avenues, and more battery storage will be added to complete the net-zero project.

Why:  In 2015, Hawaiʻi became the first state in the country to make an unprecedented commitment to achieve 100 percent renewable energy by 2045. Concurrently, UH and the Hawaiʻi Legislature established a collective goal for the university system to be “net-zero” by January 1, 2035, meaning the system would produce as much renewable energy as it consumes across its campuses.

Other facts:

• Following the successful implementation of energy conservation measures during phase one, phase two will bring the total on-site capacity to 2.8 megawatts of solar PV and 13.2 megawatt hours of battery distributed energy storage at UH Maui College.
• The UH Maui College project has already offset about 30 percent of the campus’ total energy consumption, for a savings of approximately $37,000 annually.
• That energy savings may be used to further sustainability goals by retrofitting air conditioning systems and upgrading to a more energy-efficient infrastructure.

VIDEO:

B-ROLL: (TRT: 1 minute, 35 seconds)

0:00-0:40, 8 shots: crowd shots, guests, students, staff at UH Maui Great Lawn, big group photo

0:41-0:58 2 shots: traditional Hawaiian luau served at the college cafeteria

0:59-1:14: Chancellor Lui Hokoana remarks

1:15-1:21: UH Maui Sustainability and Science Management student Amy Frate audience reactions

1:22-1:35: Student Amy Frate’s remarks

SOUND:

Lui Hokoana, UH Maui College Chancellor (16 seconds)
“We’ll be able to harness enough from the sun to bring Maui College to Net Zero - 100 percent renewable energy, produced, stored and used in house.”

Amy Frate, UH Maui College Sustainability and Science Management student (12 seconds)
“I know we got some national attention for this, I’m really proud to see my school floating around Facebook. (break) It brings me great pride to not only learn about sustainability initiatives but to see them here first hand.”