Wind energy is a resource that is plentiful in the right locations in the islands, but gathering it up presents a problem. Concerns with placing the tall wind turbines near homes, schools and other occupied buildings have erected barriers to completion of wind energy projects.
That problem is noted in the 2023 annual report of the Hawaii State Energy Office, which points to calls for changes to county regulations. The report cited a discussion before the Honolulu City Council about “increasing the minimum distance between wind turbines and areas zoned for occupied buildings.”
Now a plan by a startup company to test a new type of turbine holds out hope that this form of wind resistance can be overcome. It deserves the support of policymakers in exploring whether this new design could realize some of the potential power wind should bring to the state’s energy portfolio.
Kanoa Winds Inc. appears to be getting some of that support now, fortunately. The Hawaii Community Development Authority recently agreed to negotiate a three-year land-use agreement needed on a spot in Kakaako to run a two-year test.
The company is headed by Kaname Takeya, an engineer from Japan, and is based in Delaware. But there’s a clear interest in piloting its turbines first in Hawaii, according to its website (kanoawinds.com). The reasons:
>> It aims to contribute to the Hawaii’s goal of having 100% renewable energy by 2045.
>> It could create a new industry in the state, by planning to set up local production capability.
>> It has identified applications for its technology in residential, community and industrial projects, as well as utility-scale projects on- and offshore, according to the website. But the initial focus seems to be for onsite use, rather than full power plants.
This last aspect may be crucial to success. Neighborhood pushback on wind-energy installations arises from their large scale that can dwarf nearby homes, as well as pose a threat to birds that fly into the rotors.
This is an especially pertinent issue for communities on Kauai, where there are large populations of seabirds. There, onshore wind projects have not been developed.
The design of the Kanoa turbines is quite different, to begin with. What makes them attractive is their more modest size, and the fact that they don’t look like the mammoth windmills seen on typical installations, such as on Maui and near Kahuku.
The planned test turbine is 23 feet tall, looking like a slim water tower or drill rig. It can stand in about a single parking stall at the state’s Entrepreneurs Sandbox technology workspace facility, adjacent to the John A. Burns School of Medicine.
Electricity generated through multiple smaller-scale projects supplying residential units and modest community facilities could comprise a significant increase in the share wind power represents in the state’s energy portfolio.
It’s nowhere near fulfilling its potential now. There are currently nine onshore wind farms in Hawaii on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island producing 8.1% of the state’s total energy sales, according to the Energy Office.
With all Hawaii’s efforts to boost renewable energy, roughly two-thirds of its needs are still met by fossil fuels. The low-hanging fruit of rooftop and utility solar has been harvested, and if Hawaii is to meet its energy commitment, more of its needs should be met by wind, among myriad other sources.
This approach to wind energy has been used in Japan for 18 years, Kanoa representatives have said. It’s long past time for Hawaii to explore, and potentially capitalize, on this idea for the benefit of the island residents.
