Hui Up!: State program to promote energy efficiency improvement

Summary

「Hui Up!」program helps to exchange old home appliances, such as refrigerator, and replace to a new ENERGY STAR® appliances in Molokai and Lanai island, Hawaii, United States of America. This program is funded by Hawaii Energy, state program to promote energy efficiency improvement.
The most of energy consumption in the State of Hawaii is deeply depended on the imported fossil fuel, especially crude oil, so the cost of energy is much expensive than mainland of the US. However, lots of indigenous peoples are living in Molokai and Lanai Island, who are earning less income than Oahu Island and Honolulu city, and also effected by their geographical condition, lots of households in Molokai and Lanai Island uses old and inefficient appliances. Based on those conditions, Hui Up! Program is supporting the exchange of home appliances, to save energy use and its cost.

In 2011, the first year of the program, it was succeed to exchange 40,000 light bulbs to LED bulbs during only 45 days. Next year, 2012, 15 students visited more than 450 households and surveyed their energy consumption, and it was possible to exchange at least 50 refrigerators in Molokai Island. Also, in Lanai Island, 30 refrigerators were exchanged. As a result, collectively over the next ten years, the 144 Molokai Hui Up! participants who participated in the first round of Hui Up! in 2011 will benefit from $540,000 in energy savings, displacing 727 barrels of oil and 2 million pounds of CO2 emissions.

Points about the partnership

This program is considering not only the physical exchange of appliances, but also helping persons to understand how much energy are used in our daily life, with local university and college students. Also, local organizations are participating as local partner, to promote the program and gather the voices of residents. In addition, governmental program is also positive to fund and support the activity.