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UH Manoa will show Hawaii businesses ways to save energy and money
Pacific Business News (Honolulu) – by Nanea Kalani Pacific Business News

The “Sustain Your Brain” program will include free lectures, workshops, noncredit courses and a film festival focusing on sustainability concepts.

Ann Brandman, spokeswoman for UH Manoa’s Outreach College, said it often sets themes for its summer sessions and decided on a sustainability focus in part to help residents and businesses save money by going green during rough economic times.

“Our mission is to extend the resources of the university to the community,” Brandman said. “So, with various green initiatives going on in the state, in both the public and private sectors, it’s obviously a good time to have this theme.”

The Outreach College, a self-sustaining unit within UH Manoa, will charge between $35 and $55 for some noncredit courses. Other offerings are being sponsored by various community groups and organizations.

For example, the Hawaii Energy Policy Forum at UH Manoa will co-sponsor a day-long look at the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, a collaborative effort between the state and the U.S. Department of Energy that aims to accelerate the use of renewable energy sources and energy-efficiency technology.

The Blue Planet Foundation of Honolulu and the East-West Center are contributing to the day-long event by paying for speakers.

Brandman said the college also is planning a free lecture series on simple ways to save energy and money.

One of the scheduled presenters is Darren Kimura, president and CEO of Sopogy, a Honolulu solar technology company. He will discuss renewable energy technologies being studied in the state as well as the prospects for green jobs in Hawaii.

Another presenter, the university’s Center for Smart Building and Community Design, will give a free lecture on energy-saving architecture designs.

Noncredit courses that the college will charge for include Sustainability for Business, How to Green Your Office, and Understanding Solar Energy.

Another noncredit course, Sustainability 101, will be taught by Shanah Trevenna, the student sustainability coordinator for the UH Sustainable Saunders project. The project implemented simple changes to cut energy consumption at Saunders Hall on the UH Manoa’s upper campus.