Christy Burt
Renewable Energy
The state of Hawaii has recently set a goal of generating 70 percent of its power from clean energy sources by 2030. We currently hold the highest retail electricity prices of any state in the United States, owing to our dependency on foreign sources for power. Imported oil accounts for 90 percent of Hawaii’s energy needs. As Hawaii enters the early stages of what many hope is an energy revolution, companies are turning towards seawater, an energy source that is infinitely renewable and extremely convenient, given the fact that we are surrounded by it.
The Honolulu Seawater Air Conditioning has started a $200 million construction project that would extend plumbing nearly 5 miles offshore, suck 45°F water from 1,800 feet deep, circulate frosty water into buildings’ existing A/C systems and then dump it back into the sea. This new air conditioning system will pipe cool air into 40 of downtown Honolulu’s largest buildings, with the effect of saving 75% of the electricity they currently use for air conditioning. This technology is already being used around the world in places with easy access to cold water: Toronto, Stockholm, Bora Bora and the Big Island. If this project proves successful, it will later be extended down to the tourist filled hotels of Waikiki, where 40% of their electricity is taken up by air conditioning, and maybe eventually down to common households. Many expect that this project will be very successful. “It fits in very well in Hawaii. It’s one our natural resources,” says Ted Liu, director of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.
Seawater air conditioning is not only an innovative step towards cutting our dependency on foreign oil, it is also an environmentally friendly step towards reducing Hawaii’s carbon footprint. Though seawater air conditioning will reduce the amount of electricity consumption, it has gained the support of Hawaiian electric since it will help the state and Hawaiian Electric reach their joint goal of cutting electricity use by 30 percent and obtaining 40 percent of Hawaii’s power from renewable sources by 2030. It is predicted that the Honolulu Seawater Air Conditioning will save 174 million barrels of oil and will eliminate about 84,000 tons of carbon dioxide from the air annually. Our government has already approved an environmental study of this project and the company hopes to start construction later this year for the system to come online in 2012.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Honolulu Seawater Air Conditioning, LLC. Web. 28 Mar. 2010.
Niesse, Mark. “Cold Ocean Water to Be Turned into A/C.” R&D. Associated Press, 7 Nov. 2009. Web. 29 Mar. 2010.
Pala, Christopher. “Honolulu to Implement Cooling with Deep-sea Water.” Environmental Science & Technology. American Chemical Society. Web. 30 Mar. 2010.
