Smart Grid Project Recruiting 200 Maui Meadows Volunteers

By Wendy Osher
Article From: http://www.Mauinow.com

The Maui Smart Grid Project will demonstrate and evaluate new technologies that will help residents better manage and reduce energy consumption during periods of high demand. It will also assist Maui Electric Company (MECO) operate the electricity grid more efficiently.
Volunteers are being sought from the Maui Meadows neighborhood in South Kihei to participate in a pilot project to help Hawaii reduce its dependence on imported oil.

The Maui Smart Grid Project is recruiting up to 200 volunteers for the program with all project technologies to be provided and installed at no cost to participants.

The technologies that will be evaluated by the Maui Smart Grid Project are designed to give customers more control over their energy use, increase energy efficiency and allow for greater integration of clean energy resources.

The project is also designed to reduce Hawai’i’s dependence on imported oil, which the state relies upon for about 90% of its energy needs.

“Maui is the perfect location for this kind of smart grid research. Approximately 26% of the energy on its relatively small electrical grid comes from renewable resources,” said Dr. James Griffin, project director for the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute at the University of Hawai’i, one of the project’s lead organizations.

Under the program, participants will have a smart meter installed in their home as well as access to a personalized, secure website displaying information on energy use measured by the new meter.

Participants will also have the opportunity to try additional smart grid technologies in their home, such as an in-home energy use display and a smart thermostat. The technologies will provide project participants with more information on, and control over, how and when they use energy.

In addition to the home-based equipment, Maui Electric Company (MECO) will assist in the monitoring and management of the delivery of electricity to customers.

“Improving each island’s electricity grid through new smart grid technologies is a key element of Hawaii’s landmark clean energy goals,” Griffin said. “Through the experiences of Maui residents in this project, we will learn valuable lessons about the best ways to modernize Hawaii’s electricity system.”

MECO President Ed Reinhardt said initiatives like the Maui Smart Grid Project are vital to successfully balancing service reliability and as-available sources of power like solar and wind.

“The success of the Maui Smart Grid Project will give our customers greater control of energy use in the home and help MECO manage demand during peak usage times, reduce outages, and enable quicker restoration of power,” said Reinhardt.

Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa said the first step in reducing energy use is to understand how our choices affect energy use. “Volunteers in this project will see how much electricity is used when they turn on their computer, television, or lights. The Smart Grid project has great potential,” said Arakawa.

The project team will host a community meeting in the next couple of months to provide further details on the project and answer questions from community members.

To learn more about the Maui Smart Grid Project and to sign up, visit: http://www.mauismartgrid.com or call 808-270-6803.

The US Department of Energy is funding the Smart Grid initiative as part of a nationwide set of demonstration projects. In addition to HNEI and MECO, other project partners include the Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO), Silver Spring Networks, GE Energy, County of Maui, Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), Sustainable Living Institute of Maui at the University of Hawaii-Maui College, HNU Energy, and SRA International.

*** Supporting information courtesy, Maui Electric Company.

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Nuff Sedd Has More to Say
Local band celebrates new CD with a party at the MACC.

Article from: The Maui Weekly

Nuff Sedd—David Wood, Duane Rosa, Kit Okazaki and Joshua Kahula—will celebrate the release of a new CD, Life … in a Song, at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center on Saturday, Sept. 17.

Nuff Sedd burst onto Hawai‘i’s entertainment scene several years ago with a fresh, innovative interpretation of reggae music. On Saturday, Sept. 17, the local band with a huge following will celebrate the release of its new CD with a party under the Yokouchi Pavilion at Maui Arts & Cultural Center (MACC), beginning at 6 p.m. Special guest artists are The Kryptones, Alika Nako‘oka, Pi‘ilani Arias, Lia Live and HHB.
With the release of their debut album, Open Doors for Strangers, Nuff Sedd dominated record sales and drew sell-out crowds throughout Hawai‘i and the South Pacific. At the 2005 Hawai‘i Music Awards, the band won “Best New Artist,” “Group of the Year” and “Song of the Year” awards.

Raised on the slopes of Haleakalä in Upcountry Maui, the band members have performed together for over 10 years. Members include Joshua Kahula (lead vocals, guitar and songwriter), David Wood (bass guitar, songwriter), Kit Okazaki (tenor saxophone) and Duane Rosa (drums, percussion).

In recent years, the guys have been writing, composing and recording, and have now completed their much-anticipated second record. The new CD, titled Life… in a Song, includes ten tracks of cutting-edge original music, which masterfully crosses genres, including island, reggae, rock, acoustic and R&B.

From the band that brought our community hits like Cherry Bomb, Life is Perfect and Simple Eye, the new CD is guaranteed to be one of the top releases of 2011 in Hawai‘i. Their first single from the record Bits & Pieces currently dominates the airwaves across the state and the Pacific.

Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 on show day (plus applicable fees). This concert is only open to adults 21 years and over. Call the MACC Box Office at 242-SHOW (7469) or go online to MauiArts.org

Article From: The MauiWeekly

The 29th Annual St. John’s Kula Festival will be held on Saturday, Sept. 24, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in lovely, cool Kēōkea. This festival is always greatly anticipated by Maui residents and visitors alike as a tradition that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
This year, a new layout will facilitate easier access to all the food, fun, fundraising, entertainment and events, but will still showcase the spectacular views of the valley and coasts and offer everything that everyone has come to expect from this event.

The festival will showcase delicious food, including Portuguese bean soup, waffles with fresh Kula strawberries, a wonderful vegan curry, grilled-on-the-spot hamburgers made from Maui Cattle Company beef, fudge, plate lunches, fresh Chinese chicken salad and more, as well as cold drinks and coffee.

Fresh Kula produce, plants and cut flowers, baked goods, a gift shop with handmade items and an assortment of treasures, beautiful gift baskets, a wide variety of crafters, children’s games, free face painting, a silent auction and live entertainment will be offered all day long.

The festival stage will showcase Uluwehi Guerrero’s choir, Na Leo Lani O Maui; Derick Sebastian; the Hula Honeys; and SideTracks. Entertainment will also include the Future Stars of Maui—Gabrielle Goebbert and Austin Carvalho (together known as “The Flow”), The Mill with Christy, Lilly and Zoe and a surprise or two.

Proceeds from this annual event are usually shared with a variety of local nonprofit organizations each year, which are selected by the church, but this year, the organizers decided to focus on one nonprofit. This year’s beneficiary is Hospice Maui; specifically, to contribute to building a 12-bed hospice unit, Hale Ho‘olu‘olu, a place for comfort, compassion and care.

The vision for Hale Ho‘olu‘olu is more than bricks and mortar, construction and staff jobs—it is to help patients live out their lives more peacefully, with more dignity and with less pain, and to provide comfort for the families whose grief is then lightened. It is the highly skilled compassionate team of Hospice Maui caregivers who assist the patients and their families through this transition. Their ideality is a community pulling together to invest collectively in Hale Ho‘olu‘olu, making a peaceful end-of-life experience a reality for all of Maui. Learn more about the hale at http://www.hospicemaui.org/hooluolu.

St John’s Episcopal Church has been a community center since its beginning in 1900 and continues by offering its facilities for a number of community organizations, operating a pantry that distributes boxes of food to families in emergency situations, and holding a Fellowship Dinner on the last Friday of every month where all are welcome to come and enjoy a free meal and friendship.

Admission is free, but donations are welcomed. For more information, or to contribute to the auction or volunteer your time, call (808) 878-1485.

St. John’s is located at 8992 Kula Highway across from Kēōkea Park.

Tourism Related Jobs Could Top 159,000

By Sonia Isotov
Article from: http://www.mauinow.com

Expected growth in Hawaii’s visitor industry job count could reach as high as 159,542 in 2011, according to a statement released today by the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA).

The statement issued by the HTA was a reaction to statements made by President Obama and Governor Abercrombie last night regarding the importance of job creation in order for our state and nation to fully recover from the economic downturn.

“Hawaii’s visitor industry helped to provide 152,864 jobs in the state in 2010, the largest generator of jobs among the major industry sectors. Tourism is also the largest single source of private capital into Hawaii, with visitor spending reaching $11.4 billion and contributing to $1.1 billion total tax revenue,” said Mike McCartney, president and CEO Hawaii Tourism Authority, in a written statement.

“With new airlift, marketing and destination experience-based programs, we anticipate the number of tourism related jobs to grow to 159,542 by the end of 2011. Tourism is a natural export for Hawai‘i and the US and provides a strong foundation for our economy.”