Green Magazine Hawaii Jan/Feb/Mar 2016

LA

NG W I T N DS CA PI

JAN/FEB/MAR 2016

Vol. 8 #1

greenmagazinehawaii.com

H N AT I V

E PL A N TS

T H E CO M

F

O F F- G R ORTS OF

I D L I V I NG

In Hawai‘i the environment is the economy That’s why these businesses invest in The Nature Conservancy. They recognize the vital role the environment plays in our economy and overall quality of life. We want to thank the following companies for helping to protect Hawaii’s critical lands and waters. To join the Corporate Council, visit nature.org/hawaii.

Corporate Council for the Environment Corporate Visionary ($25,000+) Alaska Airlines CDF Engineering, LLC Executive Leadership Circle ($10,000-24,999) ABC Stores Alexander & Baldwin First Hawaiian Bank Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. Koa Capital Partners Macy’s Matson Foundation Outrigger Enterprises Shidler Family Foundation Skyline Eco-Adventures, Maui The Howard Hughes Corporation Corporate Conservator ($5,000-9,999) Bank of Hawaii Foundation Goodfellow Bros.

Haleakala Ranch Company

Hawaiian Airlines Hawaiian Electric Hawaiian Telcom Noguchi & Associates, Inc. Skyline Eco-Adventures, Poipu Symphony Honolulu Corporate Partner ($2,500-4,999) AES Hawaii Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing Avnet Ernst & Young First Insurance Company of Hawaii Charitable Foundation Hawaii Independent Energy Hawaii Nature Explorers Hunt Companies Ikayzo JTB Hawaii Kaanapali Beach Hotel KTA Super Stores Kualoa Ranch, Inc. Mauna Lani Resort/Tokyu Foundation

Meadow Gold Dairies Ocean Cloud Media OliverMcMillan Riggs Distributing Servco Foundation SunEdison Trade-Winds Management Group, Hawaii Ulupono Initiative U.S. Bank Corporate Friend ($1,000-2,499) Armstrong Foundation Big Island Candies Cat Clinic of Issaquah Grove Farm Hawaiian Springs, LLC HFM FoodService Island Insurance Foundation Jhamandas Watumull Fund King & Neel Pacific Quest PBR Hawaii & Associates, Inc. Tori Richard

The Nature Conservancy in Hawai‘i, 923 Nu‘uanu Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96817. Website: nature.org/hawaii. Telephone: (808) 587-4508.

Hinalele Falls, Wainiha Preserve, Kaua‘i. Photo © Ethan Welty.

CONTENTS VOLUME 8 NUMBER 1 // JANUARY/FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016

HEALTH ____________________________________ ____________________________________ __________

NATURE ____________________________________ ____________________________________ __________

12 Food

56 Conservation

Mud Hen Water is a new watering hole on Wai‘alae Avenue.

13 Upcycle

Wooden wine boxes and old dresser drawers add eclectic accents to white walls.

14 Education

The Hawaii Baptist Academy maximizes a small space for its new arts and sciences building.

ENERGY ____________________________________ ____________________________________ __________

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The state-of-the-art Juliet Rice Wichman Botanical Research Center is a hub of conservation on Kaua‘i.

58 Flora

It’s time to reintroduce native Hawaiian plants into the suburban landscape.

64 Community

Michael Kramer discusses Hoku Nui Maui, the island’s first sustainable community.

25 People

Bill Brooks and Mark Ayers are shaping Hawai‘i’s built environment with sustainable design.

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26 Wind

Palmyra Atoll’s ultra-efficient micro grid is wind powered.

27 Net Zero

The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa installs net-zero energy classrooms.

28 Efficiency

A holistic approach to a healthy home starts with efficiency.

30 Off The Grid

Henk Rogers proves that off-grid living isn’t off the wall.

58 Landscaping with native species is all about putting the right plant in the right place.

ADVERTISEMENT

BREWING A LEGACY The Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative collaborates with Kona Brewing Company to create the first-ever craft beer featuring koa blossom honey Last winter, hundreds of thousands of honey bees on Hawai‘i Island set out on a historic mission: to produce the world’s first commercially harvested honey using the nectar of the rare koa tree blossom. To create just one pound of this honey, a hive of bees must fly 55,000 miles and visit nearly 2 million flowers. Thankfully for Hawai‘i beer drinkers, they were up to the task.

The nonprofit Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative (HLRI) is planting more than 1.3 million endemic koa, sandalwood and other endangered tree species across the Hawaiian Islands, placing bee hives among newly reforested and oldgrowth koa trees to create raw and unfiltered honey with a unique flavor and thick, crystallized consistency.

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ADVERTISEMENT

Harvested in spring 2015, this limited run of honey was featured in a new beer, the Makani Wheat Ale, produced in Hawai‘i by Kona Brewing Company. Available only on draft at select locations this fall and winter, the ale capped off the four-part Makana Series, an exclusive-to-Hawai‘i series of four beers launched in 2015 by Kona Brewing. Each of the beers in the Makana Series incorporates distinctive ingredients from throughout the state.

“This limited-edition ale helps us celebrate both the extraordinary work of the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative, as well as Kona Brewing’s 21 years as a leading brewery in the Hawaiian Islands,” says Sandi Shriver, head of Kona Brewing’s brewery operations. “We are proud to have these Makana Series beers brewed in Hawai‘i, for Hawai‘i, benefitting Hawai‘i organizations.”

A portion of proceeds from the series was donated to Hawai‘i nonprofit organizations representing the inspiration for each beer: Earth (‘āina), fire (wela), water (kai) and wind (makani). Makani Wheat Ale donations support the critical reforestation of endemic trees such as koa and Hawaiian sandalwood by the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative.

“This honey is just one way we are showcasing the use of Hawai‘i lands for economically viable crops that can be produced while supporting environmentally sustainable reforestation,” says Jeffrey Dunster, executive director of HLRI. “One more example of how responsible businesses can do well while doing good.”

The Makana Series launched in January 2015 with Aina Brown Ale, a brew made with kalo (taro) added to the mash that benefitted Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii. Wela Red Ale, which followed in April, was cold smoked with kiawe wood and supported Mālama Maunalua. The third beer in the series, Kai Golden Ale, was made with deep seawater sourced off the Kona coast and benefitted the Surfrider Foundation.

Through the sponsorship of HLRI Legacy Trees, the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative and Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods have planted more than 300,000 trees while raising funds for more than 330 nonprofit organizations worldwide. For more information, visit legacytrees.org.

GREENMAGAZINE HAWAII.COM

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Published by Element Media, Inc. VOLUME 8 :: NUMBER 1 :: JANUARY/FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016

Publishers Jamie & Naomi Giambrone

Editorial Interns Chance Nakazato

Associate Publisher E. S. Adler

Contributing Photographers Aaron Bernard, Dave Miyamoto, Darryl Watanabe

Managing Editor Kevin Whitton, kevin@elementmediahi.com

Administration Athena Keehu, Sally Shaner

Copy Editor Lauren McNally

Publishers’ Assistant Enjy El-Kadi

Art Director Keith Usher

Advertising Inquiries E.S. Adler, esadler@elementmediahi.com

Contributing Writers Tiffany Hervey, Lindsey Kesel, Michael Kramer, Larry Lieberman

Editorial Advisory Board Mike Fairall, Dr. Jack Kittinger, Jeff Mikulina, Nicole Milne

Subscribe and read online at greenmagazinehawaii.com. Contact Element Media at 1088 Bishop Street, Suite 1130, Honolulu, HI 96813; 808.737.8711. Follow Green on facebook at facebook.com/GreenMagazineHawaii and on Twitter at @greenmaghawaii. Green Magazine Hawai‘i is a quarterly publication available through subscription, direct mail and bookstores throughout Hawai‘i. The views expressed within Green Magazine Hawai‘i do not necessarily reflect the opinions of management and ownership. Green Magazine Hawai‘i may not be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

Now Online

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EDITOR'S NOTE

THE GOLDEN RATIO

I

am a student of the ancient art of growing little trees in pots (some are quite big, actually).

Developed by the Chinese around 700 A.D., adopted by the Japanese during the Kamakura period about 500 years later and now practiced all around the world, bonsai is the art and horticultural practice of growing a living, miniature tree that mimics the natural growth patterns of the tree in the wild. This is done by achieving a proportional balance between the girth of the trunk, the placement of the branches and the size of the pot and leaves, in relation to the height of the tree. The shape of a bonsai tree—upright with a twisted, slanted trunk, a straight trunk; with weeping branches; or a cascade of foliage that falls below the pot—tells the story of the tree’s struggle and eventual triumph against the elements.

One of the basic design elements in bonsai is the scalene triangle. It is used as a guide to develop the shape of the tree and create the illusion that the tree is old and massive. Despite it’s asymmetrical shape, the triangle provides a measure of symmetry and stability, engaging the viewer because it gives the tree movement. Over the years, the tree is bent with wire, pruned methodically and repotted until that two-foot-tall Japanese black pine looks likes it’s been growing on the side of a mountain for centuries.

Only when the tree reaches its highest level of design refinement and maturity is it considered a true bonsai.

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What’s interesting is that the beauty of a bonsai tree does not derive merely from its tiny leaves or fissured bark, but from how well it adheres to the golden ratio, also known as the golden number or divine proportion. Mathematically, it occurs when the ratio of two quantities is the same as the ratio of their sum to the larger of the two quantities. Considered the epitome of symmetry and balance, the golden ratio is a phenomenon found throughout nature—in the perfect pentagonal of a hibiscus flower or the logarithmic spiral of a nautilus shell—that influences what we find beautiful.

Why all this talk of ratio and symmetry? Because this is Green’s first design-centric issue exploring how design shapes and accentuates our lives, from a microgrid on Palmyra Atoll to the native plants that landscape your house. There is an overarching order found in nature that we emulate in design as we try to achieve what nature does all on its own. Whether designing a house, a solar panel, a bicycle or a raised garden bed, when we attain the zenith of balance and symmetry, beauty and perfection are realized and the tree in a pot becomes a bonsai. —Kevin Whitton

PERSPECTIVES

STRAWBERRIES WILD ORANGE DREAM MACHINE

| PHOTO BY |

APPLE´N GREENS

Try All Three Hawaii Favorites.

www.jambahawaii.com

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ALEXANDRINE CEBALLOS, WAIMĀNALO

Alexandrine Ceballos knows vegetables. She grows them at Green Rows Farm and cooks them at Ô Ai Love Nalo vegan restaurant. Her photo captures the full circle of a bourgeoning local food scene in Õ Nalo Town, where theyÕ re closing waste gaps and staying micro-local. At the farm, she feeds the chickens food waste from the restaurant and from local grocery stores. The chicken manure is composted and added to the soil where they grow the vegetables for Ô Ai Love Nalo. Ò ItÕ s ecology in action,Ó she says.

SUBMISSION DEETS Submit your high-res (300+ dpi) photos in JPG, TIFF or RAW file format, along with the photographer’s name and a photo description, to kevin@elementmediahi.com. Multiple images can be sent via Dropbox, WeTransfer or other file-sharing service.

HEALTH

FOOD // UPCYCLE // EDUCATION

Photo: Lauren McNally

| FOOD |

MUD HEN WATER A Watering Hole on Wai‘alae Still waters run deep at Mud Hen Water, the newest addition to the family of Kaimukï restaurants helmed by chefs Ed Kenney and Dave Caldiero of Town. For 10 years running, the Slow Food aficionados have been laying the groundwork for Hawai‘i’s recent culinary resurgence, the lifeblood of which has been a renewed connection to the land and waters that sustain its diverse island community. Town established a founding philosophy of “local first, organic whenever possible, with aloha always,” and laidback middle child Kaimuki Superette toppled local sourcing off its fine-dining pedestal.

Rounding out the triple-threat of farm-totable eateries on Wai‘alae Avenue, Mud Hen 12

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Water takes local Hawaiian food back to its roots as a self-sufficient native food system.

The name comes from the meaning of Wai‘alae, in reference to the fresh waters (wai) of a storied natural spring once frequented by the endangered Hawaiian mud hen (‘alae). Today the area is home to a new neighborhood watering hole with a rich sense of place. Mud Hen’s tweaked local staples incorporate island flavors both native and introduced, sampling from Hawai‘i’s present to reincarnate dishes from its past.

I‘a läwalu comes bundled with a greenbanana dumpling inspired by Puerto Rican pasteles; hand-pounded pa‘i ‘ai masquerades as isobeyaki mochi with shoyu glaze and

nori. The menu changes based on the catches, cuts and yields sourced from local suppliers such as Ma‘o Organic Farms in Wai‘anae and community-supported fishery Local I‘a. A QR code on the menu lets you know who reeled in the ocean dwellers featured that night, along with where, when and how they were caught. Kenney and Caldiero are the first restaurateurs in the state to offer that kind of traceability.

Unsurprising, given their stance that the food we eat should tell a story about where it’s from. —Lauren McNally

FOOD // UPCYCLE // EDUCATION

HEALTH

| UPCYCLE | Photo: Kevin Whitton

CREATIVE SHELVING

Wooden wine boxes and old dresser drawers add eclectic accents to white walls

Anyone can head down to the hardware store and pick up a simple prefab shelf for under $20. Made from medium-density fiberboard, also known as MDF, the utilitarian white rectangle will get the job done, but the end result will likely be lacking in the style department. Instead of settling for a packaged product devoid of character, upcycle a wooden wine box or dresser drawer into instant, eye-catching display shelves. Boxes and drawers provide two shelves in one and are easily mounted to the wall with a couple screws or with screws and mollies, depending on the wall. Even their dovetail joints look amazing. For an added touch of brilliance, sand and stain the wood to bring out the grain or add colorful motifs using acrylic paints. Pair different-sized boxes for an extracreative display of books, knick-knacks and picture frames. Whatever you do with them, these DIY shelves are great for keeping the living room, man cave or play room organized and funky. Ñ Kevin Whitton

Serving Quality Food and the Spirit of Aloha since 1974!

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2464 Kalakaua Ave. Honolulu, HI 96815

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OPEN MORNING NOON AND NIGHT!

| EDUCATION |

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ARTS, SCIENCES, SUSTAINABILITY Hawaii Baptist Academy maximizes a small space

BY KEVIN WHITTON | PHOTOS: DAVID FRANZEN

Space constraints can be a thorn in the side when building an addition onto an existing structure. Hawaii Baptist Academy faced this challenge head on when it set out to execute an ambitious design project within the confines of its high school campus. The nonprofit private school in Nu‘uanu Valley wanted to build a resource center, a senior pavilion and an arts and sciences building with state-of-the-art facilities, yet only a small amount of real estate was available for new construction.

The high school campus was built during the 1970s and 1980s and its heavy architecture and hardscape accents leave little room for any additions. Hawaii Baptist Academy enlisted the help of Group 70 International to make the project a reality.

The architecture and design company created three unique, sustainable design solutions that maximize natural light, address PV power generation and lend an airy, modern aesthetic to the aging campus.

The arts and sciences building received LEED

Gold certification upon completion and the new addition received the 2014 AIA Honolulu Award of Merit for new classroom buildings and a NAIOP Hawaii Kukulu Hale Award in the non-profit category. Group 70 International President and Chief Operating Officer Charles Kaneshiro, AIA, LEED AP acted as lead architect on the project. He shares his thoughts about the design and buildout of the addition, from cornerstone to LEED Gold certification.

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Q: What sets this project apart from others you’ve done?

A: HBA’s goal was to have a state-of-theart facility that would be its showcase building for years to come. They requested that the new facility accommodate all its science and art classes under one roof in an efficient, energy-saving building.

The new buildings were designed to be a living laboratory of sorts by exposing many of the systems and components that would normally be hidden away in concealed spaces. The faculty and students can experience firsthand how simple techniques and strategies make a big difference.

The existing high school campus was lacking any significant green space. We were able to provide a green roof system over the new senior pavilion. The green roof not only provides a space for the students to enjoy, but also reduces storm water runoff from the site by capturing rainwater within the roof’s turf and serves as a thermal shield for the spaces below.

Q: What innovative design concepts or new technologies were used in the addition?

A: Connection to the site and microclimate were an important part of the design process. The arts and sciences building’s LEED Gold rating was achieved through various sustainable strategies and a commitment from the school to leave a smaller footprint. Some of the strategies employed were PV panels, water-saving fixtures, ample daylighting and highefficiency lighting fixtures and HVAC systems. Roof slopes were oriented to shield against the prevailing wind and rain from the back of the valley, while creating large clerestory windows to allow natural daylighting in the classrooms. The groundlevel science labs were tucked below grade to bring natural daylight into those spaces.

We integrated polycarbonate skylights along the entire back walls to ensure sunlight entered all classrooms.

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Low-maintenance and locally sourced materials were utilized as much as possible. The exterior walls consist of exposed, poured-in-place concrete and locally made CMU [concrete masonry units] with an aggregate pattern that does not require painting. Standing seam metal roofing panels along the back of the building provide a low maintenance exterior finish that mimic the board and batten found on houses in the adjacent neighborhood.

Q: What challenges did you encounter throughout the course of the project?

A: We placed the new learning resource center in an open breezeway within a post-tensioned concrete building, which made it tricky to core through the existing building with tension cables. Also, because we were adding more weight to the space, we strengthened the existing floor slab by adding composite fiber wrap to the bottom of the slab, which helped strengthen the building with minimal intrusion to the existing structure.

The site was very tight, which made it difficult to get large machinery to the project area. Directly adjacent to the project site is a residential neighborhood, so care was taken to minimize disruption to the neighbors. Since the work was done while school was in session, deliveries and construction traffic had to work seamlessly with the school’s normal schedule of student drop off and pick up, as they shared one road into the campus.

Lastly, extra care was taken to ensure no construction debris or runoff entered Nu‘uanu Stream, a federally protected waterway immediately adjacent to the site.

HALEAKALA SOLAR LEADS HAWAI‘I INTO THE FUTURE

In 1977, the world was just getting used to higher energy prices as a result of the rapid increase in the price of oil following the 1973 oil embargo. Haleakala Solar began installing solar hot-water systems to help consumers reduce their electric and gas bills. According to Solar Power World national rankings, the company has grown from a single product line into the largest solar company in the state of Hawai‘i, employing 180 local residents. The company now provides solar hot-water heating, PV systems, solar pool heating , PV-powered swimming pool pumps, energy-conservation products, critical-load and off-grid battery systems, carport systems, solar air conditioning and electric vehicle charging stations for both the residential and commercial markets.

The company opened its first showroom in 2009 to give consumers, contractors, architects, engineers and other interested parties a place to view products and talk to highly knowledgeable consultants about lowering their energy bills. The response

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to the first showroom was so great that the company opened two more showrooms to serve the public. The showrooms are located on Maui in Maui Mall across from Whole Foods; on O‘ahu in Waimalu Shopping Center, across from Best Buy and right next to Zippy’s; and on Kaua‘i in Kukui Grove Shopping Center next to Times Market.

Over the years, the company has monitored the changes occurring in the solar industry and kept up with its new rules and regulations. Company consultants are knowledgeable about HECO, MECO and KIUC programs and can custom tailor a variety of products to meet the new regulations and save you money on your energy bills.

The company has many different financing programs available, all of which allow you to keep your tax credits and cost you less than the value of your energy savings.

Visit haleakalasolar.com for photos, videos and more information about reducing or eliminating your energy bills.

TOP QUALITY

Homeowners with premium value homes trust Oceanview Roofing What makes OceanView Roofing unique?

Experience and attention to detail. I have over 35 years of experience in the roofing business. We only use quality materials and we have extensive experience working with concrete and Spanish tiles, aluminum, wood shakes, asphalt shingles and flat roof silicone coatings.

We also pay attention to important things that will give your roof a longer life, including stainless steel nails that won’t rust out, top quality underlayment (not just felt paper) and custom folded flashings.

How is roofing in Hawai‘i different?

In tropical climates, you have to choose a roofing product that will withstand the extremes of strong winds, excessive rain, heat, sun and salt air. Many sub-standard roofing products will fade, peel, chip or crack in this weather.

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What should I look for in a roofing contractor?

Safety. Beware of roofing companies are not compliant with OSHA regulations, meaning a contractor doesn’t have up-to-date workers' compensation and liability insurance, which means you could be personally liable. Make sure to check the general insurance of the company that installs your roof before they start working and keep a copy for your files. You may have no legal recourse if your roof leaks and causes damage to your home.

Ocean View Roofing is fully licensed and compliant with OSHA regulations to ensure best practices, service and the highest quality products available. oceanviewroofing.com

ISLAND TOPSOIL

Will the real green thumb please stand up Ever turn green with envy at the sight of your neighbor’s flourishing herb garden or flowerbed? It’s all in the soil says Lorra Naholowa‘a, soil operations manager at Island Topsoil in Wai‘anae Valley.

According to Naholowa‘a, Hawai‘i soils are generally poor in nutrients and very little topsoil is added over the compacted fill soil used in most new residential construction, making it hard for foliage to flourish.

She suggests doing a little research about what works in the islands so you can select plants that will do well in your home’s environment. Beyond that, Island Topsoil has done much of the work for you. Choose from expertly mixed soil blends, organic compost produced on site or opt for custom-blended soils tailored to your needs. Comprised of black and red cinder, sand, fertilizers and high-quality soil sourced from all over the island, Island Topsoil’s life-giving soil blends will make green thumbs out of anyone. Island Topsoil can provide a multitude of services from the day you break ground to final landscaping, including hauling, equipment rental and mobile green-waste grinding, screening and recycling services. Call them to discuss creative and sustainable options for your garden or landscaping project. islandtopsoil.com

(808) 538-0115 I info@abbae.com 707 Richards Street, Suite 635, Honolulu, HI 96813

first HAWAII RESORT

AWARDED LEED® EBOM Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa is the first resort in Hawaii to achieve LEED® EBOM certification at the silver level as a result of the commitment to implement environmental sustainability measures, including reduced flow shower heads to save six million gallons of water annually, motion-sensing air conditioning, and our most recent addition of a photovoltaic system of solar panels.

For more information, visit maui.hyatt.com.

The trademark HYATT and related marks are trademarks of Hyatt Corporation. ©2016 Hyatt Corporation. All rights reserved.

Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa Hawai‘i’s first LEED EBOM Silver resort The Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa is committed to environmental sustainability and social responsibility. The management and staff have planned and implemented a wide range of sustainability measures to improve indoor environmental quality and site management, and to reduce energy and water use, greenhouse gas emissions and waste sent to landfills. As a result of these efforts, Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa achieved Silver-level green building certification from the U.S. Green Building Council under its Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) rating system of Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance (EBOM), which recognizes best-in-class, high-performance building strategies and practices. To receive certification, building projects must satisfy stringent prerequisites and earn points to achieve targeted levels of certification.

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The project has resulted in a number of sustainability achievements and ongoing best practices. Guestrooms have been retrofitted with efficient showerheads that save six million gallons of water per year.

Upgraded filters and bird screens afford excellent indoor air quality. The resort’s nonturf landscaping features native and adaptive plants, and special hydrodynamic separation systems and Vortechs units protect the ocean from stormwater runoff. Hyatt Regency Maui uses environmentally friendly and sustainable cleaning products and more than 70 percent of purchased goods are locally sourced, recycled or made with renewable resources. The resort donates more than 500,000 pounds of food scraps to a local pig farm each year for feed and compost, and durable goods are donated to employees, schools and nonprofits such as Habitat for Humanity.

Like all initiatives implemented at Hyatt Regency Maui, laulima was key in achieving LEED EBOM Silver certification—many hands worked together to reach this singular goal of implementing socially responsible and environmentally sustainable initiatives.

As a result, the resort is 30 percent more energy efficient and 34 percent more water efficient than similar resorts, using a million less gallons of water per year. Hyatt Regency Maui is committed to providing the highest level of service, from greeting guests with smiling faces at breakfast to demonstrating the upmost respect for Hawai‘i’s beautiful environment. maui.hyatt.com

PEOPLE // WIND // NET ZERO // EFFICIENCY // OFF THE GRID

ENERGY

| PEOPLE |

GREEN-BUILDING ALLIANCE

In 2003, right around the time local boy Bill Brooks became a principal at Ferraro Choi and Associates, Chicago transplant Mark Ayers relocated to Hawai‘i and joined the architectural firm. Both architects fervently embraced the sustainability principles that founders Joe Ferraro and Gerald Choi worked hard to set in stone.

Ayers’ strong design skills and commitment to service meshed well with Brooks’ sustainability-focused design strategy and client-relations savvy. Their first collaborative project, the cafeteria at Waipahu Intermediate, demonstrated Ayers’ experience with school design and Brooks’ background in sustainable building features such as the thermal cavity roof and heat chimneys. Before long, the Department of Education’s first LEED-certified facility was born. The two have continued to build upon their combined strengths over the past decade, creating the Lahainaluna High School cafeteria on Maui and, most recently, the Stevenson Middle School Science and Technology Center—what they consider to be the new model of sustainable school design for the DOE. When the science center is completed this spring, the 14,000-square-foot LEED-equivalent structure will operate about 30 percent more efficiently than the energy-consumption standards required by code, with innovative features like daylighting, window shading, mixed-mode ventilation and a large learning lanai complete with a garden and water-catchment system.

The two are currently working on a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) facility for Kohala High School and are deep into the design of the DOE’s new East Kapolei Middle School, which could become the nation’s first CHPS (Collaborative for High Performance Schools) verified campus. Ayers and Brooks are constantly exploring new opportunities to get their creative juices flowing, like when they leveraged Brooks’ prior partnership with the National Science Foundation’s U.S. South Pole Station in Antarctica to enter design competitions for new stations in India and Brazil.

Ayers says the duo’s shared vision and respect are central to their powerful design chemistry. “Due to our years of working together, I think we can anticipate each other’s motivations and design direction,” he says. “At the same time, we can turn it off and enjoy social banter over a beer.” Brooks’ explanation is a bit more simplistic: “Mark and I believe that architecture matters.” —Lindsey Kesel

Photo: Dave Miyamoto

Bill Brooks and Mark Ayers of Ferraro Choi and Associates are shaping Hawai‘i’s built environment with sustainable design

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ENERGY

PEOPLE // WIND // NET ZERO // EFFICIENCY // OFF THE GRID

Photo: Cindy Coker

| WIND |

PICTURE PERFECT PALMYRA

An ultra-efficient micro grid fit for an atoll About one-third of the way between Hawai‘i and American Samoa, 1,000 miles due south of Hawai‘i in the Northern Line Islands, sits Palmyra Atoll.

Home to pristine marine ecosystems and a small international research station accommodating up to 20 temporary residents, the 4.6-square-mile U.S. territory and marine national monument has been under the joint ownership of The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service since 2001. Until recently the research station was powered by diesel fuel, which accounted for half of the facility’s operating budget.

In June 2015, The Nature Conservancy completed a $1.2 billion renewableenergy project on Palmyra. “We have basically locked in 20 years of low-cost energy and made the station economically and environmentally sustainable,” says David Sellers, director of the Palmyra program. “Our carbon footprint has been reduced dramatically and we have mitigated the environmental risk of having to transport and store all that fuel.” In six weeks, Conservancy staff members and a team of 30 volunteers installed 385 solar panels, a hot water system, a deepcycle battery system and a prototype wind turbine to form a 100 kilowatt-hour micro grid. With a cost-efficient means to meet energy demands, researchers will continue to decipher the clues they glean from Palmyra’s reefs to help us manage and rebuild marine ecosystems in the main Hawaiian Islands.

—Chance Nakazato 26

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Palmyra's new wind turbine is an integral part of an energy-efficient micro grid powering a small research station.

| NET ZERO |

HIGHPERFORMANCE EDUCATION

The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s new net-zero energy classrooms

Rendering: Project Frog

The University of HawaiÔ i at MŠ noa will be unveiling two net-zero energy classrooms in 2016. The 1,400-squarefoot learning spaces are energy neutral, meaning they generate as much energy as they consume. The project, which includes stand-alone classrooms at Ilima Intermediate School in Ô Ewa Beach and at Kawaikini New Century Public Charter School in Lihue, was spearheaded by the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute. The institute enlisted California-based developer Project Frog to design the energy-efficient component buildings and local architect Bowers + Kubota to handle project management.

Cost effective and easily assembled, each classroom has a five-kilowatt solar array and a real-time dashboard to monitor the energy generated by the PV system and the energy consumed by lights, fans and plug loads. Intuitive sensor-run LED lighting will automatically adjust based on the amount of daylight in the room. Windows and ceiling fans will foster natural cooling and ventilation and a split air-conditioning system designed to reduce cycling and excessive temperature fluctuations will help keep the space cool on especially warm days. Wall and ceiling insulation, and special window glazing treatments, will reduce solar heat gain. The classrooms will not only provide a comfortable and energy-efficient learning environment for students and faculty, but theyÕ ll also serve as research platforms to refine and enhance green-building protocol in local institutional settings. Landscaping and hardscaping will be completed during the first quarter of 2016 and the new earth-friendly classrooms should be open to inquisitive minds in time for the summer session. Ñ Lindsey Kesel

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ENERGY

PEOPLE // WIND // NET ZERO // EFFICIENCY // OFF THE GRID

| EFFICIENCY |

Green Machine A holistic approach to a healthy home

It’s easy and affordable to turn a home into a healthy and green, moneysaving machine through a holistic approach to home improvements. Hawai‘i’s climate affords abundant, year-round renewable energy. Plentiful sunlight and energy-efficient ventilation solutions offer natural daylighting options and healthier, more sustainable indoor air quality. Lucky for us, companies like RevoluSun Smart Home are dedicated to bringing affordable and cutting-edge home technologies to the Islands, providing a showroom where homeowners and homebuilders can see a variety of holistic home essentials up close and learn more about how they can improve the health of their homes. —Tiffany Hervey

VARIABLE-SPEED POOL PUMPS

Pool owners can see cost reductions of up to $1,500 a year and energy savings of up to 90 percent by swapping traditional pool pumps for variable-speed pool pumps. Variable speeds and built-in timers assure optimum energy efficiency.

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GRE E N M A G A Z I N E H AWA II.C O M

NATURAL LIGHTING

High-performance skylights and sun tunnels bring natural light into interior spaces and improve indoor air quality. These affordable lighting options can greatly reduce electricity use and many systems are eligible for federal tax credit.

WHOLE-HOUSE FANS

Whole-house fans provide energy-efficient ventilation and cooling for the entire home while removing pet dander, odors, germs, mold spores, smoke and VOC gases. They can also save homeowners up to 90 percent on their air-conditioning bills.

ENERGY AUTOMATION & HOME SECURITY

BATTERY SYSTEMS

Solar power storage is key to grid independence. Battery systems with indoor and outdoor storage options allow homeowners with PV systems to maximize the energy made on their roof everyday.

Smart home automation and security offers a holistic approach to energy management, employing technologies such as home automation, video monitoring, keyless entry and motion sensors.

PV HOT WATER

PV technology uses the abundant energy of the sun to deliver clean, reliable hot water. Solar hot water heaters don’t require utility approval or oversight and are often eligible for PV tax credits.

EV CHARGING

Home chargers are a perfect marriage of technologies for electric vehicle drivers with home solar.

GREENMAGAZINEH AWAII.COM

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Photo: Aaron Bernard

| OFF THE GRID |

Henk Rogers proves that off-grid living isn’t off the wall

THE COMFORTS

OF AN OFF-GRID HOME

BY LARRY LIEBERMAN

GREENMAGAZINEHAWAII.COM

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| OFF THE GRID |

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high-end entertainment system, wine refrigerator—but Rogers isn’t your ordinary businessman and this is not your ordinary house. Rogers’ 6,000-square-foot estate is completely off the grid; everything plugged in, including the modern kitchen and laundry appliances, a 120-gallon electric hot-water heater and two Teslas in the garage, runs on Rogers’ own homebrew of clean energy generated by rooftop solar panels and stored on site in hightech batteries. “My target on O‘ahu was to become energy independent by July 4, 2014,” Rogers says. “We had a big

Independence Day party to celebrate it.”

Now that he’s free from fossil fuel-derived power delivered by the utility, Rogers wants to help everybody else do the same.

Welcome to the new paradigm of energy independence.

“Off grid is a lot simpler and easier and more straightforward than people have been led to believe,” says Rogers, who also owns a ranch on the Big Island that has been completely off grid for nearly five years.

The Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a ranch—essentially a combination executive retreat and tech wizardry lab sprawling over 28 acres of sun-baked Big Island paniolo country— is where Rogers and his engineers first began experimenting with energy-storage technologies in 2010. Site development included renovation and restoration of the original buildings, some of which are over

Photo: Blue Planet Energy

hic but unpretentious, the Tantalus home of Tetris mogul, serial entrepreneur and Burning Man aficionado Henk Rogers may look a lot like other stylish island homes nearby, but there’s one major difference.

Sure, there’s the stuff you’d expect to find in a hip businessman’s comfortable castle—a baby grand piano, modern art,

Photo: Aaron Bernard

100 years old, and construction of an energy-technology research lab and workshop. “We started with the existing structures and worked on making them more energy efficient,” Rogers says. “The first thing you do is reduce your load profile so that you’re using less energy. You spend some time thinking about things like changing light bulbs to LEDs, using energy-saving appliances— those simple things make a big difference.”

The older buildings on the ranch were already well suited for energy efficiency. Since they were built at a time when power use was minimal, design elements like extended, overhanging eaves help keep interiors naturally cool. “People have forgotten how to do that,” Rogers says. “When cheap energy came along, we started air conditioning houses artificially, but the right way to do it is by building a building that doesn’t need AC in the first place.” The ranch’s high-tech energy research workshop was built from the ground up to take advantage of simple but effective techniques to reduce energy use and keep temperatures comfortable. There’s a large overhang for shading on the south side and all of the building’s windows are north facing to let in light but not heat.

Even with energy efficiency measures in place, it still takes a lot of power to run a facility that includes 11 guest suites, a fully equipped workshop, an energy research lab and spacious living quarters for ranch hands.

The population at the ranch can get pretty large on any given day, depending on the number of visitors, and that doesn’t even include the animals. But with a massive 360-panel solar PV array and 100 kilowatt-hours of storage capacity, there’s more than enough electricity to go around.

However, it wasn’t always that way. Rogers and his crew tested and re-tested various approaches to energy storage before arriving at a solution. They started off with vanadium redox flow batteries, which involve large containers full of chemicals. They knew they needed something simpler, safer and smaller. Rogers eventually discovered and began testing a solid-state energy storage system from Sony, using lithium iron phosphate batteries that solve a lot of the issues he had experienced with other systems. The Sony products are clean, quiet and easily scalable, with no heat or chemical discharge. Once they passed his tests for performance, reliability and aesthetics, Rogers powered up the entire ranch with the new batteries, using solar power to keep them charged year round. As a safety net, Rogers converted excess energy into hydrogen for long-term storage. “It worked out perfectly,” Rogers says. “We took the enclosure that had been built for the flow batteries and repurposed that space to put in a large electrolyzer, so no power goes to waste. When the batteries fill up, we generate hydrogen GREENMAGAZINEH AWAII.COM

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and store it in fuel cells to use if we ever need to. But so far, we havenÕ t really had much need for emergency power.Ó Back on OÔ ahu at his Tantalus home, emergency backup power is available via a propane generator that is still sitting unused.

The residential battery system is smaller than its counterpart on the Big Island, but stores more than enough energy to cover all of the homeÕ s power needs, including keeping the electric cars charged up. After proving to himself that a modern home can be retrofitted to function off grid without compromising comfort or convenience, Rogers founded Blue Planet Energy Systems to bring the Sony batteriesÑd ubbed Blue Ion Ñt o the world. Ò This was really not that hard to do,Ó Rogers says. Ò The good news is, it already makes economic sense for people who are willing to wait a few years for return on their investment.Ó That return on investment increases when electricity rates rise. A recent change in Hawaiian Electric Industries company policy allows homeowners to use batteries to store home-generated energy on site, reducing the amount of power purchased from the utility and thus recouping the cost of the batteries. Homeowners can now use solarcharged batteries for emergency backup, as a primary source of power while still pulling additional energy from the grid or they can follow RogersÕ lead and go completely off the grid with a generator for emergency backup energy production. In each of these scenarios, the Blue Ion systems can be custom designed to exactly the correct size and added to later

if energy usage increases. WeÕ ve reached the tipping point when the long-term cost of switching to batteries is now less than the expected cost of continuing to buy power from the utility.

By retrofitting existing structures, redesigning to make smart use of space and being mindful of opportunities for energy efficiency, Rogers has proven that off-grid living does not equate to a restricted lifestyle devoid of modern conveniences. True energy independence is not just for new homes built from the ground up. It can be a reality for any home and homeowner with a passion for sustainability and environmental morality that outweighs the fear of new technology. If enough of us follow his lead, HawaiÔ i has a real chance of meeting its goal of 100 percent renewable power by 2045. For Rogers, the next big initiative is to help bring 100 percent energy independence to other islands in the Pacific and prove to the world that renewable energy is a feasible, reliable and profitable alternative to energy generated from fossil fuels.

In the garage beside RogersÕ Tesla roadster, soft blue LED lights create a glow of high-tech ambience. Silent and nonviolent, three tall racks of Blue Ion batteries sit alongside a bank of inverters and powermanagement technology that can all be controlled by a laptop. Like the components of his Blue Ion energy-storage system, the clean configuration of equipment fits together perfectly. Impressive, to be sure. But not at all surprising, coming from the man who brought us Tetris.

Photo: Blue Planet Energy

Henk Rogers’ developed Blue Planet Energy's battery technology at his Pu‘u Wa‘awa‘a energy lab.

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PROMOTIONAL SECTION

SUSTAINABILITY AT STARWOOD HAWAII

30/20 BY 20

STARWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS IS MAKING GOOD ON AN AMBITIOUS GOAL Sometimes it takes a global perspective to see the bigger picture of people, planet and profit. With a triple-bottomline approach in mind, Starwood Hotels & Resorts is driving sustainability by operating its properties with agility and evolving with the changing needs of its guests, the environment and the communities in which it operates. In 2007, Starwood began collecting environmental data on all of its properties around the world. Two years later, the data became the baseline for Starwood’s landmark environmental initiative 30/20 by 20, which calls for a 30 percent reduction in energy use and a 20 percent reduction in water consumption per built hotel room globally by 2020.

Starwood formed a strategic partnership with environmental nonprofit Conservation International to develop engagement programs and drive environmental awareness across its brands and properties. It also added a goal to reduce its carbon emissions by 30 percent in the same time frame. “As the first global hospitality company to aim to reduce energy and water usage per built hotel room, we asked all our owned and managed hotels to work towards our sustainability goals by implementing reduction methods that enhance the guest experience,” says Starwood Regional Director of Sales and Marketing David Richard. “Our guests are choosing brands that reflect their desire to reduce the global footprint. Our brands have long been a champion of sustainability and we are excited to meet and exceed their expectations to ensure a successful future.”

To meet its goal, Starwood has made energy and waterusage reductions utilizing low-cost upgrades such as high-efficiency LED lighting and low-flow fixtures, as well as capital improvements installing energy efficient mechanical systems such as air conditioning, heat pumps and exchangers. Starwood is also integrating sustainable and social responsibility practices into its food and beverage operations and meeting practices. Guests can even participate in the company’s sustainability effort through the Make A Green Choice program.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ global sustainability initiative is leading the hospitality industry to a new model of business and guest experience. Its eleven Hawai‘i properties are shining examples of the environmental responsibility that defines 30/20 by 20.

OUR WATER STORY:

INNOVATIONS: We’ve used innovative techniques and ideas such as liquid pool covers, smart irrigation and flow trackers to support our global growth strategy and reduction goals. HydroPoint's smart irrigation system called WeatherTRAK at pilot sites has saved:

307 million gallons And US $2.1 million

CORPORATE GOAL: In 2009, Starwood set aggressive environmental goals that included a

20% reduction in water by 2020

across all hotels globally.

By the end of 2014, we used

17% less water.

That reduction equals 116 million bathtubs.

ON PROPERTY:

Installing basic systems and enhancements like lowflow faucets and fixtures, fixing leaks, recycling gray water and rainwater collection help reach our goals.

GUEST-FACING WORK:

Make a Green Choice allows our guests the option to forgo full housekeeping services, reducing the amount of water used to clean their rooms and their linens.

night without 1housekeeping

SAVES UP TO 49

gallons of water

that is enough for one person to drink two glasses a day for a year.

WATER FILTRATION: On-site filtration systems, like our recently expanded partnership with Nordaq Fresh, provide our guests with premium quality filtered still and sparkling water while allowing us to reduce plastic bottle waste, CO2 emissions linked to transportation and water used during the manufacturing process.

SHERATON KAUAI RESORT

DOING MORE TO CONSUME LESS

SHERATON KAUAI RESORT The Sheraton Kauai Resort introduced a number of sustainability measures during its $16 million revitalization in 2012. Energy-saving variable speed drives are used in the resort’s various water features and in the chiller plant on the ocean side of the property. Motion-sensor lights and power-management systems reduce energy use in maids’ closets and low-flow showerheads control water consumption in the resort’s guest bathrooms. In-room air conditioners automatically power off when the sliding-glass doors are open and adjust temperature settings based on arrival and departure times.

The food and beverage department recycles waste cooking oil and donates food scraps to a local livestock farm for feed. Local fish, produce and greens are incorporated into the dining and banquet menus whenever possible.

Sheraton Kauai’s sustainability efforts also include beach cleanups, an annual Maluhia Tree Tunnel cleanup and the ongoing Table 53 fundraising program at RumFire Poipu Beach, in which all food and beverage proceeds from the restaurant’s table number 53 go to a different Kaua‘i charity or nonprofit every month. The program has raised more than $120,000 since its inception in October 2012, benefiting local organizations such as Kauai Hospice and Kauai United Way. VARIABLE SPEED DRIVES CONSERVE ENERGY IN THE CHILLER PLANT ON THE OCEAN SIDE OF THE PROPERT Y AND IN THE RESORT’S VARIOUS WATER FEATURES.

“As a member of this small island community, it is important for us to be green and continue developing sustainable practices.”

—Chip Bahouth, General Manager

RECYCLING RECYCLING BINS ARE PLACED IN ALL GUEST ROOMS AND PUBLIC AREAS TO ENCOURAGE GUESTS TO RECYCLE THEIR PAPER, CARDBOARD, GLASS AND PLASTIC WASTE. SHERATON KAUAI ALSO RECYCLES BACK-OF-HOUSE ITEMS SUCH AS USED PRINT CARTRIDGES IN ITS COMMITMENT TO RESORTWIDE RECYCLING.

SHERATON KAUAI RESORT 2440 Ho‘onani Road, Ko-loa 808/742-1661 sheraton-kauai.com

THE WESTIN PRINCEVILLE OCEAN RESORT VILLAS

BEST IN SHOW THE WESTIN PRINCEVILLE OCEAN RESORT VILLAS ACHIEVED GOLD STATUS AS A TRIPADVISOR GREENLEADER IN MAY 2015.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND WATER CONSERVATION ENERGY STAR APPLIANCES, VARIABLE-FREQUENCY DRIVES AND A SMART IRRIGATION SYSTEM REDUCE WATER AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION.

OFF THE GRID

THE WESTIN PRINCEVILLE OCEAN RESORT VILLAS Situated on a lush bluff overlooking Kaua‘i’s north shore, The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas recognizes the importance of reducing its carbon footprint as one of the island’s largest resorts. In the spring of 2015, The Westin Princeville completed installation of an onsite cogeneration plant that now supplies 90 percent of the resort’s electricity and 100 percent of its water heating. The combined cooling, heat and power (CCHP) system powers the 18.5-acre property’s eight buildings using five highly efficient generators, utilizing the thermal-energy byproduct of this process for heating and cooling throughout the resort. The energy is channeled through a large heat exchanger into the plant’s hot-water recirculation system. The system pipes water to an absorption chiller to air condition the resort’s two-story clubhouse in addition to meeting the heating and domestic hot-water needs of The Westin Princeville’s four pools, three whirlpools and 346 guest villas. The multimillion-dollar project has cut the resort’s utility cost dramatically.

“We recognize that the vitality of the resort is directly linked to the vitality of the community where it operates.”

—Denise Wardlow, General Manager

THE WESTIN PRINCEVILLE OCEAN RESORT VILLAS 3838 Wyllie Road, Princeville 808/827-8700 westinprinceville.com

THE ST. REGIS PRINCEVILLE RESORT

FLORA AND FAUNA

THE ST. REGIS PRINCEVILLE RESORT In addition to numerous in-house efforts in energy efficiency, water conservation and waste reduction, The St. Regis Princeville Resort maintains a proactive role in preserving Kaua‘i’s natural environment through sustainable initiatives and community involvement. The resort sponsored Kaua‘i’s first reef-etiquette sign through the nonprofit Coral Reef Alliance’s Adopt-A-Sign program and has been hosting its annual 5th of July Hanalei Bay cleanup for more than a decade. The resort’s seabird conservation program implements

education and mitigation measures to help ensure a safe journey for native Shearwater and Hawaiian Petrel fledglings attempting their first flights over the land.

Guests can sponsor the planting of a rare native canopy tree through the resort’s Give the Gift of Green program, a collaboration with the Limahuli Garden and Preserve on Kaua‘i’s north shore. The program supports the National Tropical Botanical Garden’s efforts to replant endangered Hawaiian flora in the majestic nature preserve,

THE ST. REGIS PRINCEVILLE RESORT 5520 Ka Haku Road, Princeville 808/826-9644 stregisprinceville.com

an aggressive plant restoration project that has garnered national recognition. The St. Regis Princeville Resort has also partnered with the National Tropical Botanical Garden to create a miniature native Hawaiian forest near the resort’s main entrance. Featuring a carefully curated microcosm of 32 native species found in the mountains high above Hanalei, the garden is a living treasure trove of biodiversity that showcases the National Tropical Botanical Garden’s conservation efforts and Kaua‘i’s native tropical flora.

SHERATON WAIKIKI

FARM TO TABLE SHERATON WAIKIKI

Sheraton Waikiki is leading the charge for local food in Hawai‘i hotels and restaurants. In addition to completing a dramatic redesign and extensive overhaul of its facilities in early 2011, the newly revamped resort launched a food and beverage program emphasizing locally sourced ingredients.

Sheraton Waikiki partnered with the Hawai‘i Farm Bureau to rally support for House Bill 1471 and has since led the industry in bridging the gap between gourmet dining and local agriculture. Upon passing in July 2011, the bill established a food certification pilot program that coordinates purchasing agreements between local agricultural cooperatives and buyers in Hawai‘i’s visitor and hospitality industries.

Farm-fresh dining is the centerpiece of Sheraton Waikiki’s sustainability initiatives. General Manager Kelly Sanders has set a goal of incorporating at least 60 percent local ingredients into the resort’s worldclass dining venues, which include its new pool bar, the Edge of Waikiki, revamped hotspot RumFire and the open-air Kai Market. Inspired by Hawai‘i’s ethnically diverse plantation-era cuisine, Kai Market features authentic island flavors using 70 to 80 percent locally sourced ingredients, including herbs and spices harvested from three vertical gardens in the restaurant’s central dining area. The locavore staple is Hawai‘i’s first farm-to-fork buffet, offering a bounty of fresh, local fare in an oceanfront setting overlooking the resort’s stunning infinity pool and iconic Waik k Beach.

“Guests not only experience a taste of Hawai‘i, but also understand what they are eating at our restaurants and how it was harvested.”

—Darren Demaya, Kai Market Executive Chef

SHERATON WAIKIKI

2255 Kala-kaua Avenue, Honolulu 808/922-4422 sheraton-waikiki.com

MOANA SURFRIDER, A WESTIN RESORT & SPA

MOANA SURFRIDER APPROACHES SUSTAINABILITY AS AN ONGOING PROCESS RATHER THAN A TANGIBLE OBJECTIVE—ONE THAT INVOLVES INTEGRATED EFFORTS IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY, CONSERVATION AND WASTE REDUCTION.

MAKE A GREEN CHOICE 90% OF GUESTS FORGO DAILY LAUNDERING SERVICES AS PART OF MOANA SURFRIDER’S OPT-IN GREEN PROGRAM.

SUPPLY CHAIN MOANA SURFRIDER SUPPORTS LOCAL BUSINESS BY PURCHASING PRODUCTS MADE OR GROWN IN HAWAI‘I AND SOURCES 40 PERCENT OF ITS FOOD AND BEVERAGE OFFERINGS FROM LOCAL VENDORS.

40%

ACROSS THE BOARD

MOANA SURFRIDER, A WESTIN RESORT & SPA Just as it set a standard for Hawaiian hospitality upon opening in 1901, Waik k ’s first hotel is setting a standard for environmental stewardship in Hawai‘i.

Moana Surfrider approaches sustainability as an ongoing process rather than a tangible objective—one that involves integrated efforts in energy efficiency, conservation and waste reduction. The resort earned the Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s Green Business Award in 2009 for its comprehensive environmental initiatives.

In addition to reducing waste through resort-wide recycling, charitable donations and other wastediversion measures, Moana Surfrider is committed to minimizing its environmental impact by advocating sustainable business practices and employing reusable and biodegradable materials in its meeting and event venues. Back-of-the-house initiatives include printing on 50 percent recycled-content paper, utilizing digital advertising as an alternative to print media and working toward a 30 percent reduction in marketing collateral.

Low-flow plumbing fixtures, energy-efficient lighting, insulating window film and automated appliances curtail water and energy consumption throughout the property.

In 2009, Moana Surfrider installed $2 million worth of energy-efficient mechanical infrastructure, including an 800-ton cooling tower, a 540-ton high-efficiency chiller, heat pumps and energy-saving variable-frequency drives. The resort was recognized the following January, February, August, September and October for achieving the greatest energy reduction of any Starwood resort in North America.

MOANA SURFRIDER, A WESTIN RESORT & SPA 2365 Kala-kaua Avenue, Honolulu 808/922-3111 moana-surfrider.com

THE ROYAL HAWAIIAN, A LUXURY COLLECTION RESORT

AHEAD OF THE CURVE

THE ROYAL HAWAIIAN, A LUXURY COLLECTION RESORT Conservation has long been a part of daily operations at the Royal Hawaiian, but the iconic Pink Palace of the Pacific has renewed its commitment to sustainability through early adoption of innovative new measures in energy, water and ocean conservation. The resort’s “Pink is the New Green” initiative outlines continued environmental action strategies in support of Starwood’s vision for sustainability and global citizenship, including targeted efforts to foster a sense of environmental stewardship among hotel ambassadors and guests.

Thanks to extensive renovations executed during the property’s $60 million transformation into a Starwood Luxury Collection Resort, the Royal Hawaiian/Sheraton Waikiki complex ranks first for energy efficiency among Starwood resorts nationwide. From upgrading to more energy-efficient appliances to installing a rooftop solar thermal system on the resort’s Mailani Tower, the Royal Hawaiian is redefining luxury as a quality synonymous with environmental responsibility.

Five percent of guests participated in the Royal’s green room program when it was first introduced; 30 to 50 percent now opt out of daily laundering in the interest of sustainability.

Eighty percent of the hotel’s fare arrives fresh from Hawai‘i farms and fisheries, and the resort’s ocean-to-table Azure restaurant—the crown jewel in the Royal Hawaiian’s sustainable food and beverage initiatives—features local produce and seafood selected each morning from the Honolulu Fish Auction.

THE ROYAL HAWAIIAN, A LUXURY COLLECTION RESORT 2259 Kala-kaua Avenue, Honolulu 808/923-7311 royal-hawaiian.com

ENERGY EFFICIENCY SOLAR WATER HEATING IN THE RESORT’S ROYAL BEACH TOWER REDUCES ENERGY CONSUMPTION BY 60 PERCENT.

EMISSIONS FIVE OF THE STATE’S FIRST ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGE STATIONS WERE INSTALLED IN THE SHERATON WAIKIKI/ROYAL HAWAIIAN PARKING GARAGE IN 2011.

SHERATON PRINCESS KAIULANI

HALFWAY THERE AT THE HALFWAY POINT OF THE 30/20 BY 20 PROGRAM

2008

THE ENERGY STAR

SHERATON PRINCESS KAIULANI Many Hawai‘i residents are familiar with energy efficiency and have taken simple steps—using CFL or LED light bulbs and energy efficient appliances— to save energy in their homes. For the effort it takes to make a three-bedroom home energy efficient, can you imagine what it would take to make a 1,000room hotel highly energy efficient?

Sheraton Princess Kaiulani associates did just that and implemented an energy management program to upgrade the 60-year-old hotel into Hawai‘i’s first hotel to receive the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Star Award. A team of energy experts developed solutions to reduce energy usage from the heating, cooling and lighting equipment, which draws the most energy. Air conditioning typically accounts for 35 percent of a hotel’s electrical consumption, so high efficiency air conditioning chillers were installed. To reduce gas usage by 50 percent, heat pumps and exchangers to recover waste heat for hot water were also installed. Lighting represents about 22 percent of electrical consumption, so the hotel switched to energy efficient light bulbs throughout the hotel. Once the major energy draws were reduced, the team was able to save even more energy by installing energy-saving smart thermostats and energy glass or window film in all the guest rooms. Match unparalleled energy efficiency with many other sustainable initiatives and you have a hotel proud to carry the state’s Green Business in Hawai‘i certification.

SHERATON PRINCESS KAIULANI 120 Ka‘iulani Avenue, Honolulu 808/922-5811 princess-kaiulani.com

ENERGY USE REDUCED

11.4%

CARBON EMISSIONS REDUCED

19.1%

WATER USE REDUCED

11.8%

END OF

2014

SHERATON MAUI RESORT & SPA

Nestled on the legendary Black Rock headland, the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa spans 23 oceanfront acres, flowing gracefully from the crest of Pu‘u Keka‘a to the shores of Ka-‘anapali Beach. Over 420 of its 508 rooms and suites directly face the Pacific Ocean and feature private lanai for contemplating the serene view. While many people only see a turquoise ocean and white-sand beach, resort associates are working hard behind the scenes to preserve the pristine beauty of the land and ocean through daily sustainable practices.

Beyond the core energy efficiency and water conservation initiatives are a handful of extremely important recycling efforts that protect the natural environment and give back to the community. From the

guest rooms, all of the HI-5 and non-HI-5 recyclable items are sorted each day and picked up for recycling.

Partially used bath amenities are donated to social welfare organizations and even old pillows and blankets are donated to the Maui Humane Society and Salvation Army instead of being thrown away. All of the food waste from the resort’s food and beverage outlets is donated to a local food waste service program, which distributes it to local pig farmers for feed. The resort recycles cardboard and paper on a weekly basis and all the landscape waste from continual upkeep is picked up on a weekly basis and recycled into mulch. Sometimes it’s the culmination of the seemingly small efforts that yield big results and beautiful views.

REUSE, RECYCLE, REGENERATE SHERATON MAUI RESORT & SPA

“We strongly believe that care for one another begins with taking care of our surroundings and our continued sustainability efforts are just one of the many ways we strive to provide the highest standard of care and comfort for visitors and guests at our resort.”

—Tetsuji Yamazaki, General Manager

LARGE-SCALE RECYCLING PAPER

RECYCLED ON A WEEKLY BASIS

1 TON per month

CARDBOARD

FROM SHIPMENTS AND PACKAGING

10 TONS per month

LANDSCAPE WASTE FROM THE UPKEEP OF 23 ACRES

17 TONS per month

SHERATON MAUI RESORT & SPA’S SUSTAINABILIT Y EFFORTS HELP PROTECT AND PRESERVE MAUI’S PRECIOUS NATURAL RESOURCES.

SHERATON MAUI RESORT & SPA

2605 Ka-‘anapali Parkway, Ka-‘anapali 808/661-0031 sheraton-maui.com

THE WESTIN KA‘ANAPALI OCEAN RESORT VILLAS

SHINE ON YOU CRAZY DIAMOND THE WESTIN KA‘ANAPALI OCEAN RESORT VILLAS

For the past eight years, The Westin Ka‘anapali Ocean Resort Villas has been recognized as one of Maui’s most environmentally conscious businesses. The AAA Four Diamond resort continues to push well beyond its commitment to implement day-to-day sustainable practices with educational programs, outreach and by raising environmental awareness among its guests, business partners and the community. The effort has garnered the resort a long list of awards and accolades for its sustainable initiatives including ‘Aipono’s Excellence in Sustainability, TripAdvisor’s Bronze GreenLeader and the American Resort Development Association’s Green Sustainable Program within a Resort award.

"At The Westin Ka‘anapali Ocean Resort Villas, we believe we have a kuleana to ma-lama ka ‘a-ina. From all aspects of the resort—fuel and water usage to transportation to cuisine— we have a strong commitment to the environment.”

—Angela Nolan, General Manager

Since 2008, the resort has been supporting the restoration and protection of Hawaiian cultural resources in Honokowai Valley and Kaheawa Wind Farm, where resort associates and guests team-up on a quarterly basis to participate in the ongoing restoration projects clearing invasive plants and planting native species with Maui Cultural Lands. The resort also celebrates Earth Day and Earth Hour each year, a global grassroots movement to take positive actions for the environment and pledge to live a more sustainable lifestyle to end climate change. To further this goal, the resort also participates in beach cleanups throughout the year with guests and resort associates. Internally, The Westin Ka‘anapali Ocean Resort Villas sustainability council meets regularly to create strategies to reduce the company’s environmental impact and hosts associate awareness events to educate the staff on energy efficiency, water conservation and minimizing waste.

ON TARGET SINCE 2009, THE RESORT HAS REDUCED FUELS BY 23.6% AND WATER BY 9.4%.

THE RESORT REDUCED LOCAL TRAFFIC BY 37.8% BY PROVIDING TRANSPORTATION TO ITS SISTER PROPERTIES, AS WELL AS TO LAHAINA.

THE WESTIN KA窶連NAPALI OCEAN RESORT VILLAS 6 Kai Ala Drive, La-haina808/667-3200 westinkaanapali.com

THE WESTIN MAUI RESORT & SPA

The Westin Maui Resort & Spa Executive Sous Chef Ikaika Manaku has long been a proponent of sourcing ingredients for his island-inspired dishes from Maui farmers.

Chef Manaku wanted to go beyond serving Kula-grown strawberries and Maui Gold pineapples to resort guests.

He envisioned a more sustainable kitchen that could not only create delicious dishes using local fare, but also give back to the community and operate more efficiently.

Chef Manaku sees food preparation as a cycle, a relationship between farmer, chef and diner. To complete the farmto-table circle, he formed a partnership with a local food-waste service program, which distributes the resort’s edible waste to local pig farmers for feed. He also partnered with Maui-based Pacific Biodiesel to recycle the used cooking oil into biodiesel fuel. Next, Chef Manaku switched to biodegradable take-out containers to lessen the impact on the island’s landfill.

THE COMPLETE KITCHEN THE WESTIN MAUI RESORT & SPA

Chef Manaku’s efforts in the kitchen and the community also have a very polished, public presentation. He served as cochairperson of the 2014 Ka‘anapali Fresh: ‘Aha‘aina O Ka‘anapali food and wine festival, presiding over the opening event held at the resort’s Aloha Pavilion. The three-day festival featured Maui-inspired cuisine paired with local farms and international wines and spirits. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of independent restaurant chefs and hotel chefs in Ka-‘anapali including Chef Manaku, Ka‘anapali Fresh evolved into Hawaii Food & Wine Festival in 2015.

THE WESTIN MAUI RESORT & SPA

2365 Ka-‘anapali Parkway, La-haina808/667-2525 westinmaui.com

SHERATON KONA RESORT & SPA AT KEAUHOU BAY

KEEP IT LOCAL, KEEP IT REAL

SHERATON KONA RESORT & SPA AT KEAUHOU BAY Sustainability starts by staying local. When the Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay underwent a $20 million renewal in 2012, acclaimed Hawai‘i designer Sig Zane was brought on board to brighten public areas, refresh the look of the guest rooms and enhance the guest experience through elevated cultural and historic awareness. Zane’s placebased design concepts are best captured by the bold and oversized island-inspired motifs, like the breadfruit leaf, and geometric patterns in the rooms and in public areas. “The breadfruit is an integral part of this exclusive fabric design for Keauhou,” explains Zane. “I want growth, inspiration and a protective foundation in all that we do with this property.”

Located on 22 oceanfront acres with 485 rooms and 24 suites, the resort has several green initiatives that complement its local focus. Ray’s on the Bay, the resort’s signature restaurant, showcases the Big Islandinspired, culturally significant design aesthetic, paired with a locally sourced menu that takes advantage of the island’s abundance of fresh ingredients—think Big Island mushrooms, tomatoes and greens, Kona cold lobster and Mama’s Kona Coffee. Even the libations are local from Volcano Winery, Kona Brewing Company and Mehana Brewing Company. Every guest is also an integral part of the resort’s sustainability efforts with in-room, HI-5 recycling and the Make A Green Choice program. The resort also boasts a saltwater pool, which eliminates the need for chlorinating the water with chemical tablets.

SHERATON KONA RESORT & SPA AT KEAUHOU BAY 78-128 Ehukai Street, Kailua-Kona 808/930-4900 sheratonkona.com

Sheraton Waikiki, O'ahu, Hawai'i

Enriched with flavors and traditions.

With fresh, Hawaii-grown ingredients, local entertainment and perfectly inviting settings, Starwood Hawaii’s reinvigorated restaurants offer elevated culinary experiences. From casual to fine dining, join us for a variety of inspired and creative cuisines that will leave you blissfully satisfied.

For reservations and information, visit dininginhawaii.com

TOP: RUMFIRE AT SHERATON WAIKIKI LEFT TO RIGHT: KAUAI GRILL AT THE ST. REGIS PRINCEVILLE RESORT; BEACHHOUSE AT MOANA SURFRIDER, A WESTIN RESORT & SPA; RELISH OCEANSIDE AT WESTIN MAUI RESORT & SPA; RAYS ON THE BAY AT SHERATON KONA RESORT & SPA AT KEAUHOU BAY

©2016 Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Aloft, Element, Four Points, Le Méridien, Sheraton, St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W, Westin, Tribute, Design Hotels and their logos are the trademarks of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., or its affiliates.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

WHAT IS A SUSTAINABILITY REPORT AND WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF HAVING ONE?

IS SOLAR DEAD IN HAWAI‘I?

A sustainability report is a tool to help organizations improve their sustainability performance by measuring, monitoring and reporting their carbon emissions and consumption of other specified resources (e.g., water, solid waste), with the understanding that what gets measured gets managed. Conducted annually or at other set intervals, sustainability reports allow entities to identify the largest sources of carbon emissions or resource usage within their operation or production chains, and to set targets and make choices that will reduce or offset their emissions and usage. In addition to providing opportunities to reduce energy and financial costs, sustainability reports respond to the increasing expectations for corporate environmental and social responsibility and emerging regulatory policies. They have the added benefits of engaging stakeholders, providing investor and consumer confidence and allowing organizations to have an effective voice in policy discussions by bringing experience to the table.

Solar is and always will be a great investment for your family and the environment. It’s true that HECO has changed the game by eliminating net energy metering and putting a cap on the number of households that can export electricity to the grid. Even so, it is way more cost effective to install solar and enjoy free electricity than to continue to pay unpredictable electricity rates over the next 25-plus years.

You basically have two solar-electricity options in Hawai‘i today.

The first is to install PV panels to capture sunshine during the day and pay HECO for electricity when the sun goes down. The second is to install PV panels and a battery system to generate and store all the electricity you need for your home, day and night.

Yes, it’s more expensive to go solar now because you will either be paying HECO for nighttime electricity or paying an additional $5,000 to $10,000 upfront to install a battery system. Nonetheless, the return on investment is still better than the majority of other investments in your portfolio, with virtually no risk.

Emily Gardner, M.S., J.D., LL.M. Principal Earth Sea & Sky Solutions, LLC. Environmental Consulting and Collaborative Services 808.292.8685 earthseaandskysolutions.com

Gail Slawson-Eich, MBA Co-Founder OceanHead Solar & Electric 808.735.5745 oceanheadsolar.com

WHAT ARE THE KEY ADVANTAGES OF WORKING WITH A DESIGN-BUILD FIRM? First of all, make sure you’re working with a “true” design-build firm—a construction company that has a full-time architect and design team on staff. The team’s main goals are design and V.E., or value engineering, a methodology that seeks to maximize form and function while minimizing cost. The owner, architect and builder work together to create the best-valued solutions for a project without sacrificing quality or compromising the vision of the owner.

With all parties working cohesively from the early stages through the finishing touches, decisions related to design, construction and budget can be made quickly and resolved early on. The designbuild firm also takes on a higher degree of accountability for the project as a whole, with both the plans and construction coming from a single source. Because of this, greater priority is placed on quality and performance, not just meeting the design requirements set forth by an outside architect.

Marshall Hickox President/Owner/RME Homeworks Construction Inc. 808.955.2777 homeworkshawaii.com

GET away

So close yet seems so far.

Kamaaina receive special pricing on rooms, golf & spa.

Honored with Green Key, State Green Business & Kauai Green Innovation awards.

GRAND HYATT KAUAI RESORT & SPA 1571 Poipu Road Koloa, HI 96756 kauai.hyatt.com 808.742.1234

GREENMAGAZINEH AWAII.COM

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NATURE

CONSERVATION // FLORA // COMMUNITY

| CONSERVATION |

The Juliet Rice Wichman Botanical Research Center

Photos: National Tropical Botanical Garden

A hub of conservation on Kaua‘i

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The building’s shiplap siding and interior staircase are made of reclaimed dunnage cut from 12 species of tropical hardwood trees.

Conservation is serious business at National Tropical Botanical Garden headquarters in Kaläheo, Hawai‘i. The Juliet Rice Wichman Botanical Research Center stands at the center of the organization’s research and administrative complex, equipped with bulletproof windows and reinforced concrete designed to withstand Category 5 hurricane winds. The state-ofthe-art facility brings together two major research collections: the Loy McCandless Marks Botanical Library and the National Tropical Botanical Garden herbarium.

With the addition of the NTBG seed bank, the facility also unites National Tropical Botanical Garden’s scientific and conservation operations under one roof. The layout of the building allows for full integration of the Botanical Research Center’s various facilities, and its proximity to NTBG’s adjacent Allerton and McBryde gardens makes for an unparalleled combination of cultural, scientific and environmental resources. More than 20,000 books, journals, botanical prints and archival materials reside in the research center’s botanical reference library and rarebook room, and the herbarium’s 74,000 preserved plant specimens constitute the most extensive recent collection of Hawaiian and Marquesan preserved plant specimens in existence.

The Juliet Rice Wichman Botanical Research Center is Kaua‘i’s first certified green building, earning LEED Gold status in January 2009. High-performance building features include a rooftop photovoltaic array and a rainwater-catchment system that irrigates the neighboring gardens. Clerestory windows and glass partitions provide natural daylighting to reduce energy use. In Hawai‘i’s largest successful crowdfunding campaign to date, National Tropical Botanical Garden raised $280,000 through Blue Planet Foundation’s Wefficiency online lending program to upgrade the research center’s climate-control system. The new system will

DRYER VENT cleaning

reduce fire hazards improve indoor air quality save money* and energy!

BEFORE

AFTER * up to $2.70 per load, according to HECO

Oh, and while we’re in your home, we can also perform 199 other efficiency services to help you live greener and save money!

First established in 1971, the National Tropical Botanical Garden herbarium has grown to include more than 74,000 preserved plant specimens documenting various flora across the Pacific.

| BY THE NUMBERS | > 65% Construction waste recycled during building process

25,000 GALLONS Underground storage capacity of rainwater-catchment system

30,000 WATTS Power generated by rooftop photovoltaic panels

prevent 131 tons of carbon emissions per year and cut the facilityÕ s energy expenses in half, redirecting $60,000 in annual electricity costs to NTBG education and research programs.

Dean Sakamoto Architects, the firm tapped to design the Botanical Research Center, executed the project within the context of the existing NTBG campus envisioned by Vladimir Ossipoff, an influential figure in Hawaiian modern architecture and an early proponent of sustainable building design. Ò Growing up in the islands at a time of immense development and changes in the built environment, I became aware of OssipoffÕ s quest to match architecture to its specific place,” says Principal Architect Dean Sakamoto, FAIA, LEED AP. Ò His work resonated with my own aesthetic response to design problems, an approach informed by a process of simplification and the Japanese notion of shibuiÑgi ven over to a higher order.Ó Ñ Lauren McNally

LED lighting

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(844) GO-PONO-1

Hu¿ ku- Maol¿ Ola Transforming Land Back to ‘Aina

Specializing in Cultural and Ecological Landscapes • Hawaii’s largest selection of Native Hawaiian Plants & Endangered Species • Licensed and Insured • Erosion Control • Hydroseeding/Mulching • Xeriscaping • Landscape Maintenance

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nativehawaiianplants@gmail.com

808.235.6165

www.HawaiianNativePlants.com GREENMAGAZINEH AWAII.COM

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| FLORA |

Landscaping with native Hawaiian plants

BY KEVIN WHITTON PHOTOS BY DARRYL WATANABE Rick Barboza and Matt Schirman, coowners of native Hawaiian plant nursery Hui Kū Maoli Ola, are on a mission to reintroduce native Hawaiian plants into the suburban landscape. Since 2005, they’ve been growing them at their He‘eia nursery in Ha‘ikū Valley and educating landscapers

and backyard-gardening enthusiasts about the care and importance of these environmentally and culturally significant species. To this day, they hear the same gripes about native Hawaiian plants—that they’re ugly, slow growing and difficult to keep alive.

The two native Hawaiian plant specialists are adamant that these misconceptions stem from a lack of knowledge about the specific growing conditions that native Hawaiian plants require. Most residential areas have been cleared of their naturally occurring native vegetation. If you’re looking to landscape

ALULA DESCRIPTION: Small to medium shrub with a fat, succulent stalk—sometimes branched—that produces a rosette of large, rounded, light-green leaves.

Grows up to six feet tall and three feet wide. Small, star-shaped, yellow flowers protrude from the leaf axis on long stems. Blooming is sporadic.

When in bloom, its fragrant flowers can completely encircle the top of the plant, resembling a crown.

LANDSCAPE USE: Shrub, accent, container. Plant alula in dry areas with full sun. Soil should dry out completely between watering.

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with native Hawaiian plants, you need to pick them based on where you live. You wouldn’t want to plant beach plants in the back of Mānoa Valley and you would definitely kill a hapu‘u tree fern if you planted it on the windward side of a beach house. The trick to maintaining a beautiful landscape of native Hawaiian plants is to learn about the plants that once grew in the area, so you can then mimic that biodiversity. Done properly, nature will take care of most of the plants’ needs once they are established.

GREENMAGAZINEH AWAII.COM

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INDIGENOUS VS. ENDEMIC Hawai‘i is home to approximately 1,500 native plant species, 90 percent of which are endemic.

Hawai‘i indigenous plants are native to Hawai‘i as well as other parts of the world— think naupaka kahakai.

Hawai‘i endemic plants are native only to Hawai‘i—think koa trees. Hawai‘i’s endemic plants arrived by wing, wind or waves before the arrival of Captain Cook and later and gradually evolved into new species shaped by its environment, predators and pollinators.

Of the approximately 20,000 plant species introduced into Hawai‘i over the last 200 years, 8,000 have become naturalized—they are established and growing on their own in nature.

DESCRIPTION: ‘Uki‘uki has two forms: short, compact growth with dark green leaf blades about a foot tall and less-compact growth with lighter green foliage up to three feet tall. When in bloom, the short form sends up a short, central stalk covered with small purple and yellow flowers that develop into dark purple berries. The taller form sends up a stalk with many small white and yellow flowers. Both forms bloom year round.

LANDSCAPE USE: Ground cover, accent plant, container. Plant ‘uki‘uki in full sun to partial shade. Requires light to moderate watering.

‘O- HAI SCIENTIFIC NAME: SESBANIA TOMENTOSA DESCRIPTION: Partially woody, lowsprawling shrub with extremely soft, silvery-pubescent pinnate leaves that help reflect sunlight and retain moisture.

Leaves at the stem tips are highly aromatic in full sun. Striking pink and yellow pea flowers, each about one to two inches in length, form in clusters under the leaves.

‘O-hai blooms sporadically throughout the year with peak blooming periods following heavy rain in winter and spring. Long, greenish bean pods form after flowering.

LANDSCAPE USE: Shrub, tree, accent, hedges, screening. Plant ‘o-hai in full sun in well-draining soil. Prefers dry growing conditions and is generally tolerant of wind. ‘O-hai enriches the soil with nitrogen, benefiting neighboring plants.

GREENMAGAZINEH AWAII.COM

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‘O-HI‘A LEHUA SCIENTIFIC NAME: METROSIDEROS POLYMORPHA DESCRIPTION: Fast-growing tree with variable leaf shape, size and color.

Leaves range from half an inch to three inches in length and from dark purple to gold. Some trees are bushy and others stretch to 30 feet tall. Healthy trees are nearly constantly in bloom, attracting bees and other insects. Their colorful pompoms range from dark red to yellow to white.

LANDSCAPE USE: Accent, container, screening, shade tree. Plant ‘o-hi‘a lehua anywhere in full sun.

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‘ILIMA PAPA SCIENTIFIC NAME: SIDA FALLAX DESCRIPTION: Prostrate plant with pale green leaves, woody stems and bright orange flowers. Grows in many different varieties, from bushes to ground covers. Sprawling shrub has a four- to eight-foot spread. Blooms year round in clusters or single flowers that are fully open by noon and last a day.

Attracts native pollinators such as yellowfaced bees.

LANDSCAPE USE: Groundcover, shrub, accent.

Plant in full sun in non-clay soil.

GREENMAGAZINEH AWAII.COM

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| COMMUNITY |

HOKU NUI MAUI

A regenerative neighborhood emerges

BY MICHAEL KRAMER

Michael Kramer is managing partner of Natural Investments and serves on the boards of Sustain Hawaii and the Sustainability Association of Hawaii. He can be reached at michael@naturalinvestments.com.

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A former pineapple plantation in Makawao is evolving into a truly sustainable Maui neighborhood. Hoku Nui Maui is an innovative, agriculturebased neighborhood on 258 acres. It employs the quadruple bottom line of environment, society, economy and culture as the guiding principle for all its operations, which will include 42 homes, 100 acres of organic farmland, 35 acres of native habitat and pasture land for cows, sheep and chickens. The project aims to maximize positive environmental, social and cultural impacts while operating a financially viable business model that will expand over time.

The project has been in the planning phase for three years with the assistance of permaculture designers, native species experts, cultural mentors and businessdevelopment consultants. The business will apply for B Corp certification so it can operate at the highest standards of governance and environmental and social performance in the nation. An on-site farm stand is being constructed and foodprocessing facilities, which will be available to the community, are in the works. Hoku Nui-branded products, beginning with eggs, meat and honey, will provide income for the community and help meet Maui’s local food needs.

Current agriculture zoning laws permit one house and one farm cottage per five acres. To develop a close-knit, centralized community, Hoku Nui Maui partners introduced an ordinance to Maui County Council that would allow the clustering of homes on one-acre lots, which would maintain the rural nature of

the land without increasing the number of dwellings. This density is key to keeping infrastructure close to the main road so that most of the land can remain open for food production. To assure diversity in the neighborhood, the project will file for approval under the 201(h) statute, which the State of Hawai‘i uses to support affordable housing development. Half the homes at Hoku Nui will be classified as affordable and sell for well below the median price on Maui. Down-payment assistance will be provided for low-income home buyers.

The homes will be constructed with adobe-style bricks made from the land’s clay soil and bamboo, along with other building materials that meet the highest green building standards, and will focus on orientation to reduce the need for active energy systems. The neighborhood will be completely off the grid, primarily using photovoltaic energy. All roads on the property will be designed to channel rainwater into large ponds so it can be used for agriculture and aquaculture.

Over three acres of the land are being given to Kumu Hula Keali‘i Reichel for his Hälau Ke‘alaokamaile, which has never had a permanent home. Hawaiian canoe crops used by the hälau will be grown on the property, and a cultural resource center will be constructed to give the community a place to learn, honor and embody the legacy of Hawaiian knowledge. Hopefully, Hoku Nui Maui will demonstrate what can be accomplished through comprehensive community building.

More information about the project can be found at hokunui.com.

Special lease and finance offers will be available by BMW of Honolulu through BMW Financial Services.

BMW of Honolulu 777 Kapiolani Blvd. Honolulu, HI 96813-5211 808-597-1265 www.bmwhawaii.com

Š Aveda Corp.

NEW location coming to West Oahu Summer/Fall 2016!

Aveda Spa merges art, science and beauty to create an unforgettable wellness experience designed personally for you. The result is a holistic spa experience that promotes wellness, creates balance and stimulates mind and body recovery through aroma, breath and touch. Visit us now to start the New Year with wellness. Visit us in April to join in our fundraising events to raise donations for clean water - in Hawaii and globally!

Ala Moana Center, 3rd Level Call 808.947.6141 | www.hoalasalonspa.com