The University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa, through its (HNEI), is introducing a new technology development and demonstration program aimed at reducing the cost of operating electric vehicles (EVs) and on-campus electricity expenses. The program offers bidirectional EV charging, allowing electricity to flow both ways between the EVs and the power grid via on-campus charging stations.

By signing up for this program and completing the necessary training, qualified UH Mānoa personnel will have access to two EVs conveniently located on campus.

The program supports UH Mānoa’s efforts to achieve net-zero energy by 2035 and to replace its gas-powered vehicles with EVs. The optimization algorithm developed in-house by HNEI determines the most economical times to charge and discharge the EVs, taking into account fluctuating electricity costs, on-campus PV production, and campus power demand throughout the day. By charging the EVs when electricity is cheapest and using the EV battery power during peak times, the system saves money on energy costs.

“The more people sign up, and the more people use it, the richer the data set will be for us to really evaluate, and then further tune our algorithms to extract more value out of the system… [and] by using bidirectional charging, we have the opportunity to actually drive down the cost of operating vehicles for purposes of this campus,” said Leon Roose, HNEI specialist.

Overall, this program is helping UH Mānoa become more sustainable and reduce its carbon footprint. Potential EV drivers are required to review a user manual (or participate in optional in-person training) and sign a consent form to participate in the program.

Any potential EV drivers can contact Ai Oyama at aioyama@hawaii.edu.

In time for Earth Month, electric vehicle (EV) owners on �鶹��ý Island have a new place to charge their vehicles for free using clean, renewable solar energy on the Manono Campus in Hilo.

On April 13, �鶹��ý CC celebrated the installation of the first solar EV charging station at its campus, which is also the first portable solar charging station of its kind on �鶹��ý Island.

Now available for students, faculty, staff and members of the public, the charging station is the result of a collaboration between GreeInvest, LLC and �鶹��ý CC, and it demonstrates the college’s leadership on sustainability.

“�鶹��ý Community College is committed to being a part of the solution to the many environmental challenges we face,” said �鶹��ý CC Chancellor Rachel Solemsaas. “There are numerous examples of how we are accomplishing this, including this new solar EV charging station. Mahalo to our Environmental Sustainability Committee and GreeInvest for working together to provide this service to the campus and community.”

The �鶹��ý CC faculty senate created a resolution to bring an EV charger to campus, and soon after, the Environmental Sustainability Committee began talks with GreeInvest about how sustainable charging options could be integrated at the campus.

“The �鶹��ý CC Environmental Sustainability Committee was formed to turn thought into action and bring sustainability initiatives to fruition on our campus and in our community,“ said Debbie Weeks, �鶹��ý CC science instructor, and Kaʻea Lyons, Hawaiian studies instructor, who co-chair the Environmental Sustainability Committee. “Our major achievement for our first year in existence is bringing the first portable commercial solar EV charger to the island. The installation of this charger has taken place amid a recent spike in fuel prices, which has highlighted the need for alternative sources of energy.”

�鶹��ý CC student Stephanie Carroll, who is majoring in early childhood education was excited to learn about the new charger.

“As an EV owner, charging stations are very important to me, and it can be difficult to access them,” Carroll said. “I’m really excited this is happening. It’s one more option for me, and the fact that it’s solar makes it even better.”

GreeInvest CEO Michael Ryer saw the demand for charging opportunities on �鶹��ý Island and began exploring different options.

“After extensive research, I began working with BEAM Global, which manufactures solar-powered, portable EV chargers,” said Ryer. “Getting one of these chargers deployed on �鶹��ý Island became my goal and now it’s a reality.”

By 2050, faster adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and faster generation of renewable energy will result in 99% less fossil fuel consumed and 93% less CO2 emissions from passenger and freight vehicles on Oʻahu. That’s under the most ambitious scenario in an article published in , by University of �鶹��ý at Mānoa (SOEST) faculty member Katherine McKenzie.

McKenzie, based at the in SOEST, created mathematical models of four scenarios based on projections for the switch to electric passenger and freight vehicles, and renewable power generation. She quantified the impacts of fossil fuel use and CO2 emissions on Oʻahu and found that scenarios with a slower transition to EVs result in billions more gallons of gasoline consumed, and tens of millions more tons of CO2 emitted.

As with many other remote communities still dependent on oil for both transportation and power, there remains a lack of critical analysis to determine the benefits of transitioning from internal combustion engine vehicles to plug-in EVs. In 2020, average passenger EVs were found to consume the equivalent of 66 gallons of gasoline, seven times less fossil fuel than their gasoline-powered counterparts, which used 455 gallons. Average EVs also cut emissions in half, two metric tons of CO2 versus four metric tons of CO2.

“Continuing to purchase anything powered by petroleum locks in emissions and energy insecurity for years to come, at a time when decarbonization is a climate imperative,” said McKenzie. “A shift is needed to energy efficient modes of travel—such as bicycling, walking and transit, along with reducing vehicle miles traveled (by “smart” city planning and remote work for example).”

These scenarios are intended as examples to assist government, regulatory, public and commercial decision makers and other stakeholders to better understand future uncertainties, develop strategies and inform the development of policy.

“The transition to EVs offers a momentous and immediate advantage to reduce fossil fuel consumption and resulting emissions for ground transportation in �鶹��ý and similar regions, despite the current high dependence on oil for power generation,” McKenzie added. “As renewables, especially solar and wind, replace fossil fuels for power generation, escalating benefits are achieved with electric transportation in contrast to internal combustion engine vehicles. Accelerating both EV adoption and grid renewables will have striking cumulative benefits over the years, steeply reducing both fossil fuel use and emissions.”

McKenzie will present results from this study at the online conference “,” “EVs on the Grid: Impacts, Challenges & System Stability Risks” in collaboration with Hawaiian Electric Industries, on July 13, 2021.

This effort is part of UH Mānoa’s goal of (PDF), one of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.

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–By Marcie Grabowski

Students in the Native Hawaiian Career and Technical Education Program at the have their first all-electric vehicles (EV) to work on. Hawaiian Electric presented a donation of two 2012 Nissan Leaf EVs to provide hands-on maintenance and repair experiences.

Established in 2019 as a result of community feedback collected by Hawaiian Electric and with a grant from the Native Hawaiian Education Association, the UH Maui College program was developed to provide Native Hawaiians and other �鶹��ý residents, especially in rural areas of the state, career opportunities in the emerging field of EV maintenance and repair outside of original manufacturers’ warranties. The program held its first training session in June 2019 with seven mechanics from Molokaʻi participating in the inaugural class.

“We’re grateful to Hawaiian Electric…for recognizing a need on Molokaʻi and taking action,” UH Maui College Chancellor Lui Hokoana said in a release. “Working together with UHMC and the Native Hawaiian Education Association, not only are all seven of Molokaʻi’s automotive mechanics now versed in servicing electric and hybrid vehicles, but our own automotive technology students are benefiting from the donation of these two Nissan Leaf electric vehicles. Partnerships like these move our community forward.”

Sharon Suzuki, Hawaiian Electric’s president of Maui County and �鶹��ý Island Utilities said in a release, “We appreciate the University of �鶹��ý Maui College and the Native Hawaiian Education Association for offering this valuable training that further promotes the adoption of EVs to help offset the use of traditional fossil fuels on our islands.”

An initiative inspired by business student Raiatea Arcuri has resulted in the addition of eight new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations on the �鶹��ý Island campus. The new stations were installed this summer and brings UH Hilo’s total to 10 which will help address high demand.

UH Hilo’s Auxiliary Services and the UH Hilo Student Association (UHHSA) collaborated to bring this project to fruition. Arcuri was UHHSA vice president before he graduated in May and spearheaded discussions to expand EV charging stations and upgrade chargers from 120-volt Level 1 to 240-volt Level 2.

The time required to fully charge an EV with a 100-mile battery using a Level 1, is 17 to 25 hours as opposed to four to five hours using a Level 2. Arcuri proposed the project to UHHSA and successfully obtained approval from its members to fund the purchase of eight Level 2 chargers.

“We thank UHHSA for their initiative in pushing this project forward,” said Kalei Rapoza, UH Hilo interim vice chancellor for administrative affairs. “The ideas of our students in improving campus is important. I am happy that we were able to collaborate on this idea, and look forward to future collaborations.”

According to the State Energy Office, installing an EV charging station can cost anywhere from $6,000 to $8,000 per station. But UH Hilo electrician Shannon Asejo came up with a plan to install the new stations for much less. He selected locations based on the closest access to existing electrical supply infrastructure to minimize the length of conduit trenching required to each station.

EV charging stations are now installed throughout UH Hilo, two of each are at the following campus locations:

• Sciences and Technology Building
• Old gym
• Auxiliary Services, near chiller building
• Zone 2 parking lot, near bookstore
• Haleʻōlelo, College of Hawaiian Language

(HEI) has donated four Smart ForTwo Electric Drive vehicles to the University of �鶹��ý for the , , and campuses. The vehicles will be used for educational opportunities, at sustainability events and for official university business, including transporting faculty and staff to meetings and events.

“We are very grateful for this generous gifts,” said UH President David Lassner. “We are committed to become net zero by 2035 and part of that involves transportation, so this is a great way to help us. In the long term, as the importance of reducing reliance on fossil fuels for transportation grows, it is critical that �鶹��ý’s public university system actively explores partnerships that enable us to reduce our carbon footprint every way we can.”

The four donated Smart ForTwo electric vehicles are lightly-used cars with an average mileage of 4,000 miles. They are valued at about $45,000 and HEI is also donating $5,000 to help pay for any expenses relating to maintaining or servicing the electric vehicles (EVs).

“Some of the most enthusiastic adopters of electric vehicles are university faculty and students, so we’re really pleased to keep spreading the word about EVs through this partnership with the University of �鶹��ý,” said Alan Oshima, president and CEO of Hawaiian Electric. “We’re committed to �鶹��ý’s goal of 100 percent renewable energy by 2045 and we believe EVs can also dramatically reduce the amount of oil used in transportation. We hope as more people see these Smart cars and other EVs on the road, they’ll also see how economical it is to substitute abundant solar energy for gasoline.”

“The University of �鶹��ý has a long history of leading edge research in climate change and natural sciences, and has more recently adopted sustainability as a key institutional priority for the University of �鶹��ý System,” said UH Coordinator Matthew Kamakani Lynch. “We look forward to continued collaboration with the Hawaiian Electric Companies to help us achieve our ambitious renewable energy and broader sustainability goals.”

Hawaiian Electric Industries is already supporting other UH sustainability initiatives including the and the .

EVs for a better �鶹��ý by Hawaiian Electric Industries

About Hawaiian Electric

Hawaiian Electric Company’s mission is to provide secure, clean energy for �鶹��ý. For 125 years, Hawaiian Electric Company has provided the energy that has fueled the islands’ development from a Hawaiian kingdom to a modern state. Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc., and its subsidiaries, Maui Electric Company, Ltd., and Hawaii Electric Light Company, Inc., serve 95 percent of the state’s 1.2 million residents on the islands of Oʻahu, Maui, �鶹��ý Island, ����Բ�ʻ�� and Molokaʻi.

To commemorate their 125th anniversary year, Hawaiian Electric will carry out 125 Acts of Aloha for the community. These charitable donations and service projects will benefit agencies and programs committed to building a more sustainable future for �鶹��ý.

is the first in the state to offer non-credit courses in hybrid and electric vehicle automotive maintenance. Whether someone is a technician, a sales person, or just a car enthusiast, Honolulu CC is offering the most advanced training ever offered.

“We have developed new curriculum in hybrid and electric vehicle technology that meets the auto industry demands for highly trained technicians, especially in the emerging sector of hybrid and electric vehicle repair and maintenance,” shares Steve Auerbach, director of at Honolulu CC.

Participants will be able to gain valuable hands on technical experience working on hybrid and electric vehicles using specialized equipment.

The course is designed to give an overview on:

• Shop safety, proper procedures and basic maintenance for EV/Hybrid vehicles
• Proper handling of basic hand tools and high voltage equipment
• Identification of safety equipment required in electrical systems environment
• Technical service information and vehicle maintenance

Additional course information

EV/Hybrid Safety and Fundamentals, valued at $739, is being offered this summer only at a special rate of $395. Students must be 18 years old and have a valid driver’s license.

• Dates: June 16–July 2 (9 meetings)
• Days: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
• Time: 6–9 p.m.

These courses were developed as part of the , better known as .

For more information on how to register, call (808) 845-9296.

—By Billie Lueder