Daily Archives: July 9, 2008

Tonight, Maureen Andrade, President of the Village Park Association did a wonderful job in coordinating a presentation on the mass transit system.  The meeting was very informative.  It was nice talking with a number of the residents in our community.  Also, one of the presenters also participated in Peace Day Hawaii 2007.

This morning I caught a flight to Kona, Hawaii for Sopogy Inc.’s groundbreaking for their solar farm at the Natural Energy Labaratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA).  I played a small role by authoring a bill that was passed in 2007 authorizing $10 million in special purpose revenue bonds to help the company develop a solar farm on the island of Hawaii.  The legislature and the governor were supporters of the measure as well.  The bonds haven’t been used yet but are available for usage in the future.

Sopogy Inc.’s President and CEO, Darren Kimura is very bright and great to work with.  I truly believe he is one of the up and coming leaders for not just Hawaii but for the global economy. 

The technology they will provide is called concentrated solar power (CSP), which uses the heat of the sun to produce energy otherwise known as solar-thermal energy.  The technology can be used to create process heat, solar air conditioning or electrical power.  Phase 1 and 2 of the project will create a 500 kilowatt system.  Eventually, they will expand to a 1 megawatt system.  In the long run, they want to have a 10 megawatt system.  The panels are smaller than the technology used on the mainland United States and are made to be resistant to Hawaii’s salt water air.  They hope to power into the grid and displace our reliance on fossil fuels to produce energy for our homes, buildings, and facilities.  There are many more possibilities for the future such as powering fuel cells that can be used in backup generators, cars, homes, and electronic equipment.

Governor George R. Ariyoshi was also on the trip with Darren Kimura and I.  The company had Governor Ariyoshi and I say a few words.  The governor had the vision to create NELHA in 1974.

I believe Sopogy Inc. will play a huge role in the renewable energy industry in Hawaii and the world.  I was so honored to be a small part of this process.