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    Hawaii, Korea partner for smart grid development

    Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
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    Government officials and private sector leaders today joined Governor Neil Abercrombie and Choi Kyu-Chong, Director of the Electricity Market and Smart Grid Division at the Republic of Korea Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE), at the Hawai’i State Capitol as the two leaders signed a letter of intent to pursue mutual interests in smart grid development in the Hawaiian Islands.

    “We are delighted that the Republic of Korea has seen the value of partnering with Hawai’i on a mutually beneficial smart grid development project,” said Governor Abercrombie. “Partnerships like this show the world just how serious Hawai’i is about our commitment to building a leading clean energy economy through clean energy demonstration and implementation. We are building an energy legacy for our state that will benefit the people of Hawai’i for generations.”

    Both Korea and the United States, specifically Hawai’i, have been conducting a number of relevant smart grid demonstration projects. Korea and State of Hawai’i recognize that it would be mutually beneficial to collaborate on smart grid research, development and demonstration projects in conjunction with public/private partners from Korea, Hawai’i and elsewhere in the United States.

    “The Republic of Korea and the State of Hawai’i both share the common goals of clean energy and energy independence,” said Director Choi Kyu-Chong. “The language that we share is that of green growth, independence and prosperity. Through the development of advanced energy technologies, including smart grid, we can sustain and prosper.”

    MKE and its Korea Smart Grid Institute (KSGI) have been at the forefront of the Korea Smart Grid Roadmap, South Korea’s plan to develop and implement a nationwide smart grid by 2030.

    The MKE and KSGI are currently leading more than 170 South Korean companies in the development and deployment of the Jeju Island Test Bed, a planned 6,000 household smart grid community demonstration project in South Korea, with investments totaling more than $240 million between 2009 and 2013. KSGI is also currently implementing a joint Korea-State of Illinois project to install energy-saving equipment in at least four Chicago buildings with investments of more than $35 million by companies such as LG Electronics and KT Corporation (formerly known as Korea Telecom).

    The goal of the partnership between Korea and Hawai’i is to develop a memorandum of understanding for a project in Hawai’i similar to those mentioned above. Such a partnership would help both partners achieve the mutual goals of smart grid development and deployment, which ultimately improves energy efficiency and promotes economic growth.

    “The state currently has approximately 80 renewable energy projects in various stages of development in the queue,” added state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism Director Richard Lim. “Building a smart grid system will help us manage the power that is generated by renewable resources, which means more projects can come to fruition. That translates into more jobs for our local economy.”

    The next step outlined in the letter of intent is for both parties to collaborate on a more defined memorandum of understanding by October 31, 2012, which will describe the project partners, scope, location and resource contributions.

    This project is in addition to another smart grid demonstration project that is currently taking place on Maui, which was brought forward through an agreement with Japan-based New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) in November of 2011.

    For more information, visit www.energy.hawaii.gov

    Algae demonstration commissioned at West Oahu refinery

    Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
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    Chevron & KuehnleKuehnle AgroSystems, Inc. (KAS), a producer of specialized algae strains and bulk concentrated algae designed to meet the diverse needs of the animal nutrition, specialty chemical and biofuels markets, has announced the commissioning of an algae demonstration project at the Chevron Hawaii refinery.

    The demonstration project, funded by the Hawaii Renewable Energy Development Venture and the Office of Naval Research, produces algae using recycled CO2 waste streams and wastewater by-product from Chevron’s refinery to cultivate algae in specially designed closed growing systems. Chevron’s role in this project is to serve as a host site and a source of recycled CO2 and wastewater for KAS to conduct its research.

    “We believe this project is the first U.S. demonstration of refinery waste streams being recycled into valuable algae products” said Dr. Adelheid Kuehnle, founder and CEO of KAS. “We’re thankful to the Chevron Hawaii refinery for making their facility available to us as a host site.”

    The live algae used in this project are sourced in Hawaii. KAS has designed and will operate the demonstration project through August 2012 to cultivate and evaluate different strains of algae at production scale.

    Partners in this project include Rhode Island-based BioProcess Algae for test cultivation systems; Alabama-based Inventure Chemical for biomass conversion to a high quality intermediate fuel; the University of Hawaii’s Hawaii Natural Energy Institute for water recycling and bioplastics production from waste; and Honolulu-based AMEL Technologies for engineering support.

    Hawaii’s Chevron refinery is one of only a few places ideally suitable for this particular demonstration project, due to the consistent sunlight associated with west Oahu and an available supply of CO2 waste streams, both ideal for algae cultivation.

    Chevron has not made any financial commitments to KAS, nor does it endorse the technology at this early stage of the research project. KAS’ goals for this project include transitioning algae as a sustainable resource; linking industrial effluents for scalable algae production; and linking biomass produced from KAS algae species with highly effective conversion processes to produce biofuels.

    Chevron & Kuehnle

    About KAS

    KAS is an emerging, privately-held clean technology company based in Hawaii that specializes in microalgae cultivar development for bulk live microalgae production and distribution. The company identifies algae with the most desired traits for specific production environments, and then produces the algae for industrial applications. KAS has been awarded numerous state and federal government contracts to accelerate the research, development and deployment of algae for renewable energy. In addition, KAS serves as a supplier to other firms engaged in algae research and large-scale production.

    City’s first ‘Hackathon’ to build new tools

    Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
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    CityCamp Honolulu | Photo by Ryan OzawaNext Friday and Saturday, a mix of programmers and entrepreneurs—partnered with City officials and armed with an ever-broadening array of government data—will come together to develop computer applications designed to improve the day-to-day lives of Honolulu residents.

    The “Hackathon” is a free event that is open to anyone with an idea or an interest in contributing to tools that can better connect citizens with government information and services. Whether focused on traffic, trash pickup, community events or neighborhood statistics, the possibilities are endless. And cash prizes, provided by event sponsors, will be awarded to the teams that develop the most innovative and useful apps.

    The Hackathon builds upon the successful CityCamp held last month, which drew over 150 people to a number of brainstorming sessions at the University of Hawaii that explored how technology could both solve problems and create opportunities in Honolulu.

    Modeled after successful civic hackathons staged in other cities, this first Honolulu competition emphasizes both creativity and agility. Teams will have 24 hours to quickly design and develop a working prototype of their applications, which means that several useful tools will have progressed from idea to reality by Saturday afternoon.

    Going forward, the hope is that these apps will be made available to the public. A successful Hackathon will both enhance the lives of regular citizens, and also fuel opportunities for Honolulu’s burgeoning tech community.

    The City has been working to make more of its massive datasets freely available, via the web and via Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Just last week, a “GIS Guide for Honolulu Hackers” was published to accompany newly published Geographic Information System (GIS) map data, just in time for the Hackathon.

    These efforts complement this year’s Code For America engagement, in which notable leaders in technology and e-democracy will spend time in Honolulu to help governments work better for everyone. Honolulu is one of eight cities that will host Code for America Fellows in 2012.

     

    OTEC International chosen for NELHA demonstration

    Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
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    OTEC InternationalOTEC International LLC (OTI) was selected to build a one-megawatt demonstration plant by the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA) to test the full power cycle of ocean thermal energy conversion for electricity.

    Baltimore-based OTI has built its OTEC design on decades of innovation, combining proprietary technology with off-the-shelf components. Privately funded OTI has not relied on government money and expects to be first-to-market with a commercial plant.

    OTI is currently negotiating a power purchase agreement with Hawaiian Electric Company for a 100-megawatt (MW) plant and with Caribbean Utilities Company and others for 25 MW plants. ABS, which sets standards of excellence and classifies marine-related facilities, has awarded OTI Approval-in-Principle for a floating renewable energy plant in both 25 MW and 100 MW models. It is ABS’s first for such an energy plant.

    OTEC uses vast solar energy stored in the upper ocean to vaporize ammonia, producing electricity via a turbine and generator. Deep water cools the ammonia to liquid to be heated again in a 24/7 cycle, making it baseload or firm power.

    The demonstration plant is slated for the NELHA’s Hawaii Ocean Science and Technology (HOST) Park, in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii Island. The demonstration will integrate the complete power system on a smaller scale to reduce risk for its first full-scale commercial project. Barry Cole, OTI’s executive VP, is director of technology development.

    OTI was selected from four responses to NELHA’s call for proposal.

    “We are glad the NELHA board recognized the careful planning of our excellent team,” said Eileen O’Rourke, OTI’s chief operating officer. “Our main funder, The Abell Foundation, has invested substantially in advancing OTEC research over the last 11 years, proving its commitment to this exciting power source.”

    OTI will build a pilot plant at NELHA to produce net electricity, rather than simply test components. NELHA’s HOST Park has infrastructure in place to provide a head start for full-cycle demonstration.

    “OTI’s demonstration plant will advance NELHA’s stature as the world’s premier research and development site for OTEC,” O’Rourke said.

    Over the anticipated 30-year life of the demonstration plant, OTI intends to hone OTEC technology, components and operations.

    Isle marine base testing new trash technology

    Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
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    MAGSAt Camp Smith above Halawa, the military is testing a high-tech trash disposal system that can reduce a standard 50-gallon bag of waste to a half-pint jar of harmless ash.

    Called the Micro Auto Gasification System (MAGS), the unit is currently undergoing evaluation by U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific in partnership with the Office of Naval Research as a possible solution to help Marines win their daily battle against the increasing trash at remote forward operating bases.

    Lt. Col. Mike Jernigan, a Marine combat engineer who recently commanded a logistics battalion in Afghanistan, said waste disposal in the field is a problem.

    “Right now, there are really only two solutions: burn it or bury it,” Jernigan said. “Any potential solution must reduce the security and logistics concerns of trash disposal, and help the environment… that’s a good thing for the Marine Corps.”

    MAGS is both environmentally friendly and fuel efficient. A controlled decomposition process, which thermally converts energy from biomass is the key to MAGS’ effectiveness. “The system essentially bakes the trash and recovers a high portion of combustible gas byproduct, which is used to fuel the process,” said Donn Murakami, the MARFORPAC science adviser who leads the Marine Corps’ evaluation team.

    Developed under the Environmental Quality, Discovery and Invention program at ONR and in collaboration with the Canada’s Department of National Defence, MAGS was designed to meet the need for a compact, solid-waste disposal system for both ships and shore facilities.

    “Decades ago, the idea of harvesting energy from trash was just a side show in the environmental movement,” said Steve McElvany, the MAGS program officer at ONR. “Now, the technology is mature enough to where the Department of the Navy is seriously evaluating its practical and tactical benefits.”

    The energy-efficient and clean-burning properties of MAGS make it attractive to expeditionary units. It has a low carbon footprint, and emissions are not visible, which is a tactical plus. Waste heat can also be used for practical purposes, such as heating living quarters or water.

    “What we are doing for FOBs can be applied to schools, hospitals or an office building,” Murakami said. “We are talking about disposing our waste in a different manner, rather than just sending it to the landfill.”

    Testing of MAGS will continue through March. Next summer, phase three of the evaluation will address the system’s expeditionary aspect at the Pohakuloa Training Area. Hawaii.

    MAGS is an example of how ONR energy programs are helping the Department of the Navy meet its ashore goal of producing 50 percent of installation energy requirements from alternative sources by 2020.

    About the Office of Naval Research

    The Department of the Navy’s Office of Naval Research provides the science and technology necessary to maintain the Navy and Marine Corps’ technological advantage. Through its affiliates, ONR is a leader in science and technology with engagement in 50 states, 70 countries, 1,035 institutions of higher learning and 914 industry partners. ONR employs approximately 1,400 people, comprising uniformed, civilian and contract personnel, with additional employees at the Naval Research Lab in Washington, D.C.

    Kakaako Street Festival Coming Oct. 22

    Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
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    Nonstop KakaakoFusing all the things we love– food, shopping, music, art, cocktails and fun– Eat the Street (ETS) presents ‘Nonstop Kaka’ako’ street festival, an urban multi-interactive total pop-up retail, food and entertainment experience.

    Brought to you by StreetGrindz.com, in partnership with Kamehameha Schools and Nonstop Honolulu, the event is set for Saturday, October 22, from 4:00 – 10:00 p.m in Kaka’ako.

    “Attendees will be able to satisfy all their senses at this street festival,” said event organizer Poni Askew. “Plus, we are excited to have this event designed by TLC’s Trading Spaces very own host and designer Lauren Makk.”

    Food vendors nominated on the ‘Best of Nonstop Honolulu’s Best of’ list will be featured, along with many of ETS’ most ono food trucks and street food vendors.

    There will be two stages, one for performances by Anuhea, Lost at Sea, Kainalu and Yoza. Our second stage, in the pop-up retail experience, will feature a catwalk for fashion shows highlighting the 18 participating retail vendors. DJ Taco will provide music in the ‘Ladies Lounge.’ Our pop-up shop will also feature a special indoor lounge with Sweet Bar, Champagne and Martini Bar, Beauty Bar and photo booth.

    If you would rather play than pamper yourself, our Beer Garden and eatery hosted by HPELive will feature beer and wine, plus games and activities including a climbing wall, basketball hoops, dart games and virtual surfing on a large screen.

    Or if the Man Cave is more your style, you can savor the festival’s sumptuous cuisine as you sip cocktails from the Gentleman’s Bar and watch UH football on the big screen. The Man Cave will also host a cigar bar and the hottest DJ tunes after the game.

    But that’s not all! Our street festival Interactive Grown Up Art Space asks attendees to help create the largest mobile art piece in Honolulu hosted by Pow Wow’s own Jasper Wong. There will also be Interactive Kids Art Space, Slam Poetry and a DJ rocking the jams.

    Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 22, for Eat the Street’s ‘Nonstop Kaka’ako’ pop-up block party taking place at 555 South Street in Kaka’ako from 4:00-10:00 p.m.

    Admission to the street festival is FREE. Street parking can be found around the parameters of the event, as well as in the parking lot where the event is hosted.  There’s also parking across the street at Restaurant Row.

    Eat the Street hosts food truck rallies every last Friday of every month featuring a diverse range of food vendors.

    For more information on Eat The Street, please visit streetgrindz.com/eatthestreet.  You can also follow us on Facebook at Nonstop Kakaako. For more information call 808-780-9288.

    About StreetGrindz.com


    Streetgrindz.com is a resource to Hawaii’s residents and guests who are looking for an alternative to the colorful and eclectic food scene here in the islands.  We host large and small food truck events including
    Eat The Street.  We also assist organizers, businesses and schools book events and catering needs.  We provide a social media connection between the vendors and their customers, offering location and menu information daily via Twitter.  At StreetGrindz.com we believe that Hawaii’s mobile food industry is an untapped dining experience that both locals and tourists alike could enjoy discovering and we want to be at the forefront of sharing that with everyone.

    Kauai utility smart grid project approved

    Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
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    KIUC CurrentsThe state Public Utilities Commission last week approved Kauai Island Utility Cooperative’s request to commit funds to participate in a national smart grid demonstration project, which will bring advanced meter technology to every household on Kauai.

    The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s national demonstration project is designed to assist rural utilities like KIUC, implement technologies that make the electricity grid more efficient and reliable. The total cost of the project is approximately $11.9 million, half of which will be funded by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA).

    In the application, filed late in October of 2010, KIUC requested commission approval to commit approximately $6 million in funds to participate in The Smart Grid Project which the utility explained was part of a demonstration project “involving 27 electric cooperatives throughout the nation,” but the project also represents a key component of KIUC’s own longterm strategic plan.

    Mike Yamane, KIUC Chief of Operations and lead engineer on the project said in a statement:

    “We are a small island grid and upgrading our electrical grid with smart meters and related technology can make our system more efficient and help integrate new smart appliances, electric cars, and other new and evolving technologies over the coming years. New technology can ultimately result in our members saving money if we are able to better control our islands energy demand and be able to defer investing in baseload conventional generation.”

    KIUC will be replacing about 33,000 electric meters with smart meters, along with an enhanced communications infrastructure that will allow two-way communications between those meters and KIUC. According to the decision and order, the new infrastructure will allow KIUC to conduct remote meter readings, detect outages at the household level, as well as demonstrate the effectiveness of load control and demand response systems and allow the utility to evaluate alternate rate designs.

    KIUC management points to several benefits to utilizing smart meters, including improved meter accuracy; billing date flexibility; real-time energy consumption monitoring; faster outage restoration and the potential for energy efficiency.

    KIUC anticipates installation for the project to begin early in 2012. The five-year process will include an expected two years of installation of new meters at members’ homes and installing communications infrastructure to assess smart grid effectiveness, and three years for data gathering and analysis.

    Since November 2009, the co-op has been ramping up their community outreach for the project, including two inserts in September and October bills, a section at www.kiucrenewablesolutions.coop, several stories in the utility’s magazine, KIUC Currents, and a series of quarterly meetings this year.

    [Source PDF]

    Local mom site unveils pregnancy calendar

    Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
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    MomsInHawaii

    Starting September 30, MomsInHawaii.com, in partnership with The Queen’s Medical Center, will offer a unique, locally written online calendar of information that will take expectant mothers month by month through all the stages of pregnancy.

    The calendar, located at MomsInHawaii.com, includes valuable tips and insights developed by experts at The Queen’s Medical Center and vetted by local moms. Tips include visiting a Chinatown crack seed store for ginger candy to relieve morning sickness and using kukui nut oil, a distinctive emollient unique to Hawaii, to help with pregnancy stretch marks.

    “Expectant moms count on MomsInHawaii.com and The Queen’s Medical Center for support and authoritative information,” said Esme Infante Nii, editor/host and “chief executive mom” of Moms in Hawaii. “This step-by-step pregnancy calendar brings together all our helpful tips and ideas, and can be a great help to moms, moms-to-be, potential moms, and interested family members and friends.”

    The Pregnancy Calendar’s monthly updates can be viewed all at once at MomsInHawaii.com, or emailed on a monthly basis to the expectant mom.

    In addition, a new Due-Date Calculator will help moms quickly estimate when to expect a baby’s arrival.

    Expectant moms can also access other resources on the “Motherhood” tab of the MomsInHawaii.com website, including a number of interactive forums with other Moms In Hawaii users. Anyone can access the site and its forums; registration is free and takes just a minute; Facebook users can register for MomsInHawaii.com with just a couple of clicks.

    About Moms In Hawaii

    Moms In Hawaii’s goal is to empower moms by bringing them together, both online and “in real life” … help them get the information and support they need to keep their families and themselves happy and healthy … and add enrichment and fun to their lives along the way. More information is available at www.MomsInHawaii.com, on Facebook (Facebook.com/MomsInHawaii) and on Twitter (Twitter.com/_MomsInHawaii).

    Online community for moms gets new marketing chief

    Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
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    Kimi Morton ChunMomsInHawaii.com, a local social-media community that launched in May, has named Kimi Morton Chun its “Marketing Mom.” She will help to plan and execute marketing strategies for the online and “real life” community for Hawaii’s mothers.

    “Kimi brings to our team years of experience in marketing, entrepreneurship and social media,” said Esme Infante Nii, MomsInHawaii.com Editor/Host and Chief Executive Mom. “I’m thrilled to have her on board to boost our marketing efforts. She is innovative and creative, and very experienced in community building.”

    Morton Chun joins MomsInHawaii.com with more than 12 years of experience as an entrepreneur in technology and the arts. Most recently, she served as the executive director of the Arts District Merchants Association, where she was a key liaison between the arts district and the city of Honolulu.

    Morton Chun, a mother of two, is best known for her earlier work as business manager and care organizer for her late mother-in-law, artist Peggy Chun, who passed away in 2008 from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Morton Chun, who holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Hawaii, also works with the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Hawaii and SharetheCare.org to support families and caregivers of the critically ill.

    About Moms In Hawaii

    Moms In Hawaii’s goal is to empower moms by bringing them together, both online and “in real life” … help them get the information and support they need to keep their families and themselves happy and healthy … and add enrichment and fun to their lives along the way. More information is available at www.MomsInHawaii.com, on Facebook and on Twitter.

    Lawmakers to host live video chat Tuesday

    Ryan Kawailani Ozawa
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    State CapitolSen. Will Espero will host a live streaming video conversation on Tuesday, along with Sens. Carol Fukunaga and Clarence Nishihara, as well as Rep. Angus McKelvey.

    Sen. Espero (Sen. District 20), the Senate Public Safety, Military and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee Chairperson and his team are desccribing the event as a “Ustream Legislative Sit-Down.” The broadcast will begin at noon.

    Sen. Espero will use this online platform to talk with other State Legislators about the 2011 Legislative Session, find out what they are doing in the interim, and discuss any upcoming plans for next session. The discussion will include Sens. Fukunaga (Sen. District 11) and Clarence Nishihara (Senate District 18), and Rep. McKelvey (House District 10).

    “Utilizing this type of interactive broadcasting tool is something that is relatively new to the Legislature,” said Senator Will Espero. “This event will provide a great opportunity to explore engagement with the public utilizing such platforms. I look forward to continuing to host similar events in the future.”

    Ustream is a live online interactive broadcast platform. Tomorrow’s event will be streamed live on the Hawaii Senate Majority’s Ustream account. To watch the event, please follow this link:

    http://www.ustream.tv/channel/hawaii-senate-majority

    Participants can send in questions and comments during the event through the Ustream chat feature, by emailing Senator Espero at senespero@Capitol.hawaii.gov, or by calling into his office at 808-586-6360.

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