Prof. Tony Kuh from Electrical Engineering provides an introduction to the Renewable Energy and Island Sustainability (REIS) project at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Slides from the REIS seminar series on 2009-08-27.

1. Renewable Energy and Island
Sustainability (REIS) Program
Prof. and Chair Tony Kuh
Dept. of Electrical Engineering
Director REIS team

2. Why REIS?
Global Need and Interest
National Need: President Obama’s renewable energy
program (use more renewable energy and energy
efficient practices, job creation)
Hawaii Need: Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI),
70% of energy to come from clean sources (renewable
energy and energy efficiency) by 2030
Hawaii Advantages:
Natural resources: sun, wind, waves, geothermal
Closed grid system: more amenable to analysis
Ahupua`a system: island sustainability

3. Need to change energy consumption
Fossil fuels are not sustainable
Environmental considerations
Environmental impacts of fossil fuels
Carbon emissions
Climate change
Political considerations
Economic consideration

4. Two references
T. Friedman, Hot Flat and Crowded
why we need a green revolution and
how it can renew America, Farrar,
Strauss and Giroux, 2008.
D. J. C. Mackay, Sustainable Energy
without the hot air, UIT Cambridge,
LTD, 2009.

5. What is going on in Hawaii
Currently ~90% of energy is from oil, ~95% from fossil
fuels. With HCEI by 2030 want 70% of energy to come
clean energy sources
Development of RE sources, energy efficient and
conservation practices, smart grid
Tremendous technical, scientific, engineering,
economic, political and social challenges
State
Industry
Education

6. REIS Goals
Multidisciplinary team formed to conduct cutting edge
renewable energy and island sustainability research
Obtain sustained funding from (NSF, DOE, military)
Become internationally recognized program
Develop REIS program to educate students in renewable
energy and sustainability and provide work force for
Hawaii, USA, and globally
Work with state of Hawaii and industry to help in
implementation of Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI)
Develop experimental lab: Green Holmes Hall Initiative
Recruit undergraduates, K-12 students, underrepresented
students into REIS program

7. REIS Program Constituents
Federal Funding Agencies Hawaii State Industry
Vice Chancellor REIS Industrial and
Ostrander Team State Advisory
Group
Other UHM students visitors
sustainability
efforts

8. REIS Activities
Research
RE RE RE Smart Energy Sust.
Prod. Storage Integ. Grid Efficiency Applic.
Wind Batteries Distributed
Solar Capacitors sources
Wave Other Education
Fuel Cells
GHHI
Other

9. Green Holmes Hall Initiative
Experimental testbed for REIS activities
Implementation first phase
RE generation and storage: installing PV, wind
turbines, and storage batteries
Holmes Hall energy audit and conservation:
monitor energy usage using sensor networks
Build smart grid (hardware and software) lab
Operational phase
Conduct research experiments and design projects
Work with state and industry
Recruitment tool for students
Work with other UH sustainability initiatives

10. Other Current Projects
Solar photovoltaic water pumps
Open micro smart grids
Wind forecasting
Nanotechnology in renewable energy
Automated force balanced kite-sails
Zero-net energy wearable biosensors
SWAC for Waikiki

11. Contact information
REIS homepage:
http://reis.manoa.hawaii.edu/reis2/reis
Seminar contacts:
Prof. Michelle Teng: X65060, mteng@hawaii.edu
Prof. Tony Kuh: X67527, kuh@hawaii.edu