Hawaii is heavily dependent on petroleum for energy, spending a significant portion of its GDP on imports, and aims to reduce this reliance through the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, which targets a 70% displacement of petroleum with local biofuels by 2030. Various renewable energy sources, including wind, wave, solar, geothermal, and hydrogen power, are explored as alternatives, each with their own benefits and challenges. To promote sustainable energy practices, community involvement and advocacy for governmental support are essential.

1. Renewable Energy in Hawaii
Kaylee Castillo, Hiroko Chiba, Metotagivale Meredith, &
Cheyne Yonemori

2. Why Should We Stop Using Petroleum?
❏ Hawaii is the most petroleum dependent state
❏ 4/5 of state’s energy comes from petroleum
❏ 1/10 of state’s GDP spent on energy, mostly for importing foreign
petroleum
❏ Hawaii produces no petroleum and has no proven petroleum reserves
❏ Only two petroleum refineries on Oahu supply 9/10 of Hawaii’s
demand, creating a duopoly
❏ Use of petroleum releases toxic emissions that cause to global warming
❏ Save money
❏ By switching from fossil fuels to indigenous renewable energy
resources can save Hawaii’s citizens $200 billion (Phillips et al., 2003)

3. What’s Being Done?
❏The Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative aims to
reduce Hawaii’s dependence on petroleum
❏ HCEI’s major goal is to displace 70% of
petroleum based ground transportation fuels with
locally sourced biofuels by 2030.

4. Wind Energy - What is it?
❏Use of the motion of the wind to spin a
turbine, converting the energy from motion
into electricity

5. The History of Wind Energy
❏ Wind energy has been used over thousands of
years for numerous purposes
❏ Sail ships
❏ Grind grain
❏ Lift Water
❏ First wind farms in Hawaii created during the 1980s
❏ Wind energy made up only 0.8% of all energy used
in Hawaii as of 2008

6. Why Use Wind?
❏Wind energy releases no toxic emissions
and does not contribute to global warming
❏Wind power has the potential to meet the
energy needs of all of Hawaii
❏ Hawaii used 9,963 million KWh of electricity in
2011
❏ Wind turbines could theoretically produce 12,000
million KWh of electricity per year

7. Downfalls of Wind Energy
❏Wind is an unstable and unpredictable
resource
❏ Ebbs and flows of wind over time may lead to
energy shortages if we rely solely on wind power
❏May be harmful to wildlife.
❏ Birds have been known to fly into wind turbines,
killing 10,000-40,000 of them per year

8. Wave Energy - What is it?
❏The transport of energy by ocean waves
and the capturing of that energy in order to
create electricity

9. Why Use Waves?
❏ Wave energy releases no harmful greenhouse gasses
and does not contribute to global warming
❏ Wave energy is easily Predictable
❏ Wave energy produces no land damage
❏ Hawaii is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and is
therefore rich in renewable wave energy
❏ Hawaii’s ocean wave resources are among the highest in
the U.S

10. Downfalls of Wave Energy
❏Variation in wave energy
❏ Wave energy is not practical in every location
❏ Weak Performance in rough weather
❏Negative Effect on Marine Ecosystem
❏ Creates hazards to some of the creatures near it
❏Creates noise and visual pollution
❏Wave energy is a new technology, it needs
more research, making it expensive

11. Ideal Areas for the Harnessing of Wave Energy
❏Hawaii Island
❏Kauai
❏Maui
❏Oahu
❏ Kaneohe, Oahu is ideal for wave energy development due to its
proximity to population centers and the availability of a shallow
shelf off the vantage point from accessible areas (Stopa et al.,
2013)

12. Solar Energy - What is it?
❏The use of solar modules in order to collect
sunlight, exciting electrons in the solar panel
and creating electricity

13. Why Use Solar?
❏Solar energy is non-polluting and renewable
❏ It creates no noise or emissions
❏Solar Energy is reliable
❏ Most solar panels have warranties up to 25 years and
last even longer
❏Money saved from using solar energy would
outweigh costs of installing solar panels
❏Solar energy could theoretically meet all of
Hawaii’s energy needs

14. Downfalls of Solar Energy
❏Solar panels require large tracts of land to
be effective
❏The initial costs of installing solar panels are
very expensive

15. Geothermal Energy - What is it?
❏ The creation of electric
power through the use
of steam, turbines, and
magnetic fields
Photo: Hiroko Chiba

16. Geothermal Use in Hawaii
❏Puna Geothermal Venture (PGV)
❏ Location: Puna, Hawaii Island
❏ Energy source: Geothermal steam and hot liquids
❏ Technology: Steam turbine generators
❏ Contract capacity: 30 megawatts with an 8 megawatt
expansion
❏ System: Two air-cooled power plants combined
❏ Cycle system
❏ Binary system

17. Why Use Geothermal?
❏ Geothermal energy is renewable
❏ Geothermal energy releases less greenhouse gasses
❏ Less greenhouse gasses ⇒ less greenhouse effect
❏ Independence from fossil fuel
❏ Geothermal energy is more economic
❏ Geothermal energy is stable
❏ It offers stable energy output regardless of weather,
season, or time of day
❏ Reliability is due to stable steam flows produced by
geothermal energy

18. Downfalls of Geothermal Energy
❏ Geothermal energy is still a developing technology
❏ The initial costs of implementing geothermal technology are
very high
❏ Minor environmental issues
❏ In extreme cases may cause earthquakes
❏ Costs of heating/cooling systems
❏ Only sustainable if properly managed
❏ Drilling site pollution
❏ No guarantee that possible sites will provide desired
quantities, due to cooling of earth’s surface

19. Hydrogen Power – What is it?
Transformation of H2 to electricity through
chemical oxidation process
Hawaii Hydrogen Initiative (H2I) since Dec 2010
to develop infrastructure renewable hydrogen in
HI to power fuel cell electric vehicles

20. Hydrogen Power Advantages
Simplified architecture
Reduced precious metal content
Significantly improved power density
Durability
No pollution: emits H2O vapor
Quick refueling
Most abundant element on earth
Environment- friendly: no CO2 emission No greenhouse effect
Renewable

21. Hydrogen Power Downfall
No infrastructure
Expensive research and development
Electrolysis is the least efficient way of obtaining
hydrogen
Storage issues
Expensive transportation

22. Next Steps
❏Get involved
❏ Let people know that we need and can create infrastructure to
take advantage of natural energies
❏ Create or join groups working toward a more sustainable Hawaii
❏ Try to live a more natural and sustainable lifestyle
❏Take it to the government
❏ Hold Seminars through Sience program at UHH to publicly
promote and also support the idea to authorities
❏ Petition for lawmakers to cut reliance on fossil fuels and to take
action in creating infrastructure that takes advantage of abundant
natural resources
❏ Write to politicians stating what you want done to create a more
sustainable Hawaii

23. Works Cited
Hawaii State Energy Office. (n.d.). Hawaii State Energy Office. Retrieved June 18, 2014, from
http://energy.hawaii.gov/renewable-energy/wind
Markiesha Gervacio / UH at Manoa (2009). Rscatter. Retrieved June 22, 2014, from http://www2.hawaii.edu/~markiesh/100/Rscatter.pdf
Phillips, V., Chuveliov, A., & Takahashi, P. (2003). Renewable-Energy paradox in paradise: A case study of Hawaii. Elsevier, 47(4),
299-339. Retrieved June 17, 2014, from http://cletus.uhh.hawaii.edu:2069/science/article/pii/030626199490040X
Puna Geothermal Venture (PGV). (n.d.). Hawaiian Electric:. Retrieved June 16, 2014, from
http://www.heco.com/heco/_hidden_Hidden/Renewable-Energy/Puna-Geothermal-Venture-(PGV)?cpsextcurrchannel=1
Renewable Energy, Hydrogen and Fuel Cells, Hydrogen Power. (n.d.). Retrieved June 22, 2014, from
http://www.altenergy.org/renewables/hydrogen_power.html
Stopa, J., Filipot, J., Li, N., Cheung, K. F., Chen, Y., & Vega, L. (2013). Wave energy resources along the Hawaiian Island chain.
Elsevier, 55, 305-321. Retrieved June 17, 2014, from http://cletus.uhh.hawaii.edu:2069/science/article/pii/S0960148112007963
U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis. (2013, December 18). Hawaii. Retrieved June 18,
2014, from http://www.eia.gov/state/analysis.cfm?sid=HI
Wind Energy. (n.d.). Hawaiian Electric:. Retrieved June 17, 2014, from http://energy.hawaii.gov/renewable-energy/wind
H2I | Hawai‘i Hydrogen Initiative. (2010). Retrieved June 22, 2014, from http://www.hydrogen2hawaii.com