Honolulu Magazine: Living Green Advertorial

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green new&now

BY SAB RA MOR R IS

SEARCHING FOR THE LATEST AND GREATEST IN ECOFRIENDLY TECHNOLOGY? WHETHER YOU’RE LOOKING TO SAVE ENERGY AND MONEY AT HOME OR ARE KEEN ON EXPLORING THE GREAT OUTDOORS, THESE COMPANIES HAVE IDEAS FOR YOU.

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Travel

Give the gift of past, present and future.

Adopt-a-tree programs have been around for a while. But never has a program existed quite like that of The Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative (HLRI), the nonprofit arm of Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods, which also grows tropical hardwoods for sustainable harvest. “Koa only grows in Hawaii, nowhere else in the world,” says HLRI director Jeffrey Dunster. “We’re down

to less than ten percent of the native forest that we used to have.”

HLRI aims to restore Hawaii’s native Koa forest to its former glory by replanting Koa on the Big Island for future generations to enjoy. Through its plant-a-tree program, HLRI gives you the opportunity to buy, give and save local by purchasing a Koa tree seedling to be planted on the slopes of Mauna Kea on land that once belonged to King Kamehameha The Great. After your tree is planted, you’ll receive a certificate with its GPS coordinates and unique Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) number. You can then

Want to see your tree?

Tour the Hawaiian legacy forest and see sustainable growth in action. Choose a 1 ½ hour excursion or a 3-hour tour and plant your own native tree along the way. Already planted a tree? Come visit it. Or, simply sightsee as you walk.

Whatever you choose, you’ll get to stroll along the historic Umikoa Trail, which runs right through the legacy forest to the top of Mauna Kea. Learn more at hawaiianlegacyforest.com.

PHOTOS: (TOP) WALCZUK PRODUCTIONS; (BOTTOM) ROB SHALLENBERGER

OR MOST OF US, GOING GREEN USED TO IMPLY AN ALTERNATIVE LIFESTYLE; a radical way of living that didn’t look anything like our day-to-day lives. And that meant big change. But today, the idea of green living has become much more mainstream. In fact, one could argue that it’s not really about being “green” anymore: It’s really about making smart choices that save money, preserve our resources and safeguard our aina for future generations.

The idea of what it means to live an eco-conscious life is constantly evolving as innovators discover more efficient, practical and sensible products and new ways of going about our everyday lives. Here are a few of those bright ideas, designed to take your earth-friendly living habits to the next level.

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use those numbers to locate and view your tree on Google Earth. For each sponsored tree, $20 goes to the charity of your choice and $1 per tree goes to the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust. Sandalwood trees are also available for planting and gifting. Find out more at legacytrees.org or call toll free 844-733-6737 or 844-REFOREST.

Home-Energy Savings Go beyond traditional solar water heating.

Cool your home even more efficiently.

A new air conditioner can save a bundle on your cooling costs compared to older models, especially if it’s an ENERGY STAR®-rated system. (They’re more than 15 percent more efficient than non-rated systems, according to energystar.gov.)

If you’re in the market and not sure what brand to choose, consider a Mitsubishi M-Series system. Many of them are ENERGY STAR®-rated and feature the latest in efficient cooling technology. M-Series systems feature a high

Scrub and Save, Reliably Need a new reason to sing in the shower? The KumuKit Hybrid Solar Water System isn’t connected to the electric grid and you don’t need approval from a utility company to install it. So when the power goes out, your system keeps working. There’s no need to leave the house to take a hot shower during an outage. Now, that’s clean energy.

Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) rating, a measure of energy efficiency over a typical cooling season. A split air conditioning system must carry a 14.5 SEER rating or above to earn the ENERGY STAR® label and a single-package system must rate at 14 or above. M-Series systems carry SEER ratings as high as 26. What’s more, M-Series A/Cs feature inverter-driven compressors that help maintain consistent temperatures while achieving maximum efficiency. And when it comes to materials, M-Series filters are washable and made from natural materials and 83 percent of system components are recyclable.

Here in Hawaii, cooling is one of the highest electricity users in our homes and also one of the most expensive ones.

PHOTOS: THINKSTOCKPHOTOS.COM

You already know that solar-water heating can help you save a bundle on your electric bill. You also probably know how much a rooftop photovoltaic (PV) system can help you save. But if you can’t afford a complete PV system and are interested in solar power, consider reaping some of the benefits of both solar water heating and PV technology at the same time.

How? Check out KumuKit’s new Hybrid Solar Water System from Hawaii Energy Connection. Instead of using a pump to transfer water to your roof to be heated by the sun’s rays as a traditional solar water heater would do, the KumuKit system’s PV panels actually make the electricity that heats your water.

Like traditional rooftop solar water heaters, the KumuKit Hybrid Solar Water System is affordable: You can receive up to 65 percent of available state and federal tax credits for your purchase and watch the price of your monthly electric bill go down. Find out more at 808-524-7336 or visit kumukit.com/H2O.

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Here in Hawaii, cooling is one of the highest electricity users in our homes and also one of the most expensive ones.

So an efficient system can really reduce the cost of monthly electricity. But the savings doesn’t stop there. Hawaii Energy offers a $200 rebate for qualified ENERGY STAR® air conditioners. Visit hawaiienergy.com/heating-ventilationconditioning to find out more.

Switch to Gas Thinking of making some changes around the house to save on your electric bill? Appliances are a good place to start, especially the ones that heat your water, help you cook and dry your clothes. And switching to gas is always a smart choice.

If your old, gas-powered water heater is driving up your electricity costs, consider switching to a newer ENERGY STAR® qualified gas-powered model. Depending on the type you choose, you can reduce your water-heating bills by 7 percent to 30 percent, according to energystar.gov.

And what about your gas stove? A gas stove uses less energy than an electric stove and will cost you less than half as much to operate. Visit http://home.howstuffworks.com/ gas-vs-electric-stoves.htm to get the details.

When it comes to drying your clothes, “Generally, gas dryers cost around $50 more than electric dryers, although savings in fuel costs typically make up the difference in the long run,” according to ENERGY STAR®’s Market & Industry Scoping Report on Residential Clothes Dryers.

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Save even more!

Receive a $500 Good Energy Credit to your gas bill from Hawaii Gas for upgrading your water heater to a new gas-powered version and upgrading two additional gas appliances. You can also receive a $100 appliance credit to your gas bill for installing a new gas range, cooktop, oven, clothes dryer or water heater. Visit hawaiigas.com/customer-service/rewards.aspx for details.

PHOTOS: THINKSTOCKPHOTOS.COM

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