Energy costs in Hawai‘i are among the highest in the nation. The University of Hawai‘i (UH) system is the largest consumer of energy in the state after the Department of Defense, with utility costs representing the greatest expenditure on all campuses. In 2004, the UH Mānoa utility bill alone exceeded $13 million. While we can’t do much about the cost of energy in Hawai‘i in the short term, we can do something about how much we use and how we use it.
The UH Center for Smart Building and Community Design (the Center) is working to address energy consumption and attitudes towards energy use. Together with the UH Student Housing Office and a non-profit organization, Strategic Energy Innovations (SEI), the Center is helping to implement an exciting project on the UH Manoa campus - an Energy Star Dorm Project.
Energy Star labeling is a system developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that indicates products which meet particular standards of energy efficiency, allowing consumers to make educated choices about their purchases of everything from light bulbs to refrigerators. Through partnerships with manufacturers, trade associations, state and federal agencies, the UH Student Housing Office has been given a myriad of energy efficient products to showcase in one residential apartment at UH Mānoa. Two students will live in the apartment and have their energy consumption monitored and compared with another apartment outfitted with standard products. The expectation is that at the end of the year there will be a significant difference in energy consumption between the two apartments.
This project will provide the university administration with tangible energy savings and serve as a model for retrofitting existing dorms as well as influencing new dorm designs. In addition to cost savings, the dorm project will educate students about how they personally can make a real difference. The apartment will have an “Open House” so other students can learn about ways to make big changes in energy consumption through small but significant modifications.
The Center views this Demonstration Project as a chance to raise awareness amongst University staff and students on easy choices that can save energy and reduce costs. Progress on the demonstration apartment and dates for the open house will be on the Center’s web site in the fall. Keep on the lookout for the University of Hawai‘i ’s next rising star, the Energy Star Dorm Project. |
