Renewable Energy Lab blessed at Hana School

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
By LEE IMADA, Maui News Editor
May 18, 2007

Hana high school students have built what one of them called the "green shack."

Not the kind made from coconut fronds with bamboo framing but the other kind of green building, the more high-tech one, an energy-saving structure with photovoltaic panels, a windmill and solar hot water system.

The Alternative Energy Lab was erected by about 40 students in the Hana School Building Program Ma Ka Hana Ke 'Ike ("In Working, One Learns") and blessed by Solomon "Uncle Bully" Kahalewai Hoopai last week in a ceremony attended by about 250 students, school staff and community members.

The building differs from those constructed in the past by the nonprofit organization that gives Hana high school students hands-on construction experience and the opportunity to build self-esteem while performing good deeds for the East Maui community. Young builders, led by Executive Director Rick Rutiz, have built a new health room at the senior citizens center, rebuilt the home of a Hana family whose house burned down and renovated the Hana Youth Center.

The Alternative Energy Lab goes further.

While creating a new storage room for the agriculture department and a covered work area, the project's main goal was to provide community education, building a place where residents can see alternative energy systems firsthand, while introducing students to a cutting-edge facet of construction.

The lab will also be selling the small amount of power it generates to Maui Electric Co., Rutiz said.

Alternative energy strikes close to home for Rutiz; he's lived off the MECO power grid for the last 20 years.

"I live in Kipahulu; there is no grid," he said. "I know it (the technology) works, and it's dollar affordable and in the long run saves people money."

Rutiz has wind and solar power systems, backed up by a gasoline generator, which he runs about 10 to 20 times a year.

"The price per kilowatt hour is continuing down for solar and continuously going up on your electric bill," said Rutiz. "Every day, it gets closer and closer to being a cost-effective way."

Using a hypothetical six-member family consuming 400 to 500 kilowatts a day, he estimates that six solar panels would be necessary to fill the need. That would cost about $30,000, but with state and federal tax credits the price tag could be trimmed to $10,000 - and without any monthly bills from MECO.

Rutiz and his students were able to build the alternative energy lab at Hana school with about $9,000 from a Hawaii National Guard grant, $15,000 from the state Department of Education for materials, $30,000 from Ma Ka Hana Ke 'Ike and $40,000 in goods, materials and expertise from local businesses and trades people.

Work began on the lab about a year ago, one of several building projects the crew would be engaged in throughout the school year.

"When he (Rutiz) first mentioned the green shack, I thought it would be hard at first," said Chayson Ho'opi'i, a 10th-grader.

Other student builders agreed.

"It was definitely difficult," said Gabe Von Wellsheim, a fellow 10th-grader. "We had some help from community electricians. . . . You definitely get hands-on learning, and you get it real fast."

They also saw the possibilities.

"When I first heard about this energy-saving thing, I thought about helping the community . . . saving money and living off the land and saving the resources that we have," said Kamalu Fernandez, another 10th-grader.

The high school crew tore down a dilapidated agriculture department storage structure and replaced it with a 500-square-foot building - half for the lab and the other half for storage, Rutiz said.

Then, the students put up a 1,500-square-foot roof between the new building and the existing auto shop about 35 feet away, creating a covered work area.

"In Hana, you can't really work outside," Rutiz said. "The rain comes, then the sun comes out."

The roof space was critical as well because that's where the solar panels were going, he added.

It is not drab, simple shack. The lab has an open-beam cathedral ceiling and a wall-to-wall, ceramic-tile floor with five tile mosaics created by students. It also features dark hardwood wainscoting that runs around the interior perimeter and diagonal-patterned marble slabs behind the sink, which draws hot water from the solar heater. The sink is housed in a custom-crafted bamboo and koa cabinet.

On the exterior, a 250-square-foot mural of a Hawaiian goddess and rainforest was handpainted by Hana student artists, led by Lipoa Kahaleuahi, Tacy Smith and Victoria Zarate.

The alternative energy systems include six 110-watt photovoltaic panels with a 2,500-watt Outback inverter system; a solar hot water system with a 3-by-8-foot collector, circulating solar-charged pump and an 80-gallon storage tank; and a 48-foot tower topped by a Whisper 900 windmill.

The students were involved in the design process and did the work, including site preparation, forming and pouring the cement slab and footings, framing, roofing, electrical and plumbing, window and door installation, tiling and painting.

Butch Rondinelli assisted with the installation of the wind and solar power systems and Bob Casey with the hot water system. Both are Hana residents.

The help by the two volunteer experts involved some plumbing and electrical work, both sorely needed trades in Hana. Rutiz notes there are no plumbers in town, which means plumbers drive the long, winding road at Hana residents' expense.

"What I'm trying to show the kids is that there is tremendous opportunity for jobs and good jobs and to go as far as calling it community service," Rutiz said. "If they were to learn the skills, it would be income, but it would be a community service."

This demonstration project comes at a critical time for Hana with a major affordable housing development on former Hana Ranch lands in the works.

"With Hana being so small, the kids are actually going to live in that place," said Rutiz, adding that they are interested in having a say in the design of the development.

"Yeah kids are apathetic, interested only in what's playing on the iPod (but) . . . once they get comfortable, they are able to throw that down and talk about their future and what the future community is going to look like."

The demonstration lab is open during school hours to Hana community members who want to learn about converting to alternative energy systems.