Innovation Challenge

Sustainability Innovation Challenge Award

dedicated in memory of Guy Toyama

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Mahalo to our Contest Sponsors

Mauna Lani Resort, Inn at Kulaniapia, Fairwinds, Farm-to-Fork, Merrimans Restaurant, Hawaii Forest and Trail and Ke’ei Cafe for providing $2,600 in prizes for the contestants.

Support these Green Business Leaders on the Big Island!

See the public comments below.

 

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Entries and their awards:

 

Best of Show

Bamboo Links – Green Building Structures

Entrant: Leimana Pelton, Kurtistown

Prize: Retreat at the solar powered Mauna Lani

 

 

 

Bamboo building with patented joinery, Pelton

Bamboo Links™ utilizes a mechanical means of connecting natural bamboo or any natural tree pole overcoming the inherent problems of the irregular characteristics of the poles in a simple and efficient way. The bamboo plant itself provides many benefits including protection of water resources, erosion control, and the generation of natural woodland faster than any other forestry resource, and has perpetual self-regeneration. Harvesting never kills the plant which preserves the ecosystem over time. It also makes a beautiful green building material.

Best Alterntive Energy Product

 

 

 

 

Vertical solar fridge, Stone

Stone Cold Solar Refrigeration

Entrant:  Jeff Stone, Pahoa

Prize: Fairwinds snorkle for 2

Provides energy efficient, reliable and cost effective cooling to people who care about the environment. Our Stone Cold Solar refrigerators and freezers are powered by the sun or wind eliminating utility company energy for cooling. They are a cost effective way to have vertical refrigeration using renewable energy.

 

Best in Alternative Energy Concept

Nalu Ikehu Wave Energy Hydro-Electric Generation & Storage Project

Entrant: Tim Hall, Kurtistown

Prize: Inn at Kulaniapia retreat

 

 

 

Wave and hydro power energy plant

The purpose of this project is to replace the high-cost practice of pumping water uphill via electric pumps (powered by imported oil) with the use of natural low-impact wave energy from the ocean.  The system can pump and store fresh water for customary uses, or pump and store fresh water or seawater to generate electric power. Stored water has the potential to generate unlimited natural energy on demand, decreasing dependence on imported oil and decreasing the likelihood of oil spills. One cubic meter of water at the top of a 500 foot hill has a potential energy of about a half KW·h.

 

Best in Alternative Transportation

 

 

 

 

Bamboo surfboard, Young

Wooden Classics Bamboo Surfboards

Entrant: Gary Young, Pahoa

Wooden Classics Hawaii surfboards (WCH) are truly eco-friendly, hi-performance, durable, natural wood and bamboo skin surfboards for wave riding. Compared to fiberglass boards – which generate much hazardous waste (fiberglass scraps, noxious, itchy sanding dust, hazardous fumes, high solvent use) and contain no recyclable or compostable components – WCH equal or better fiberglass surfboards in weight, shape, strength, performance, durability, appearance and price.

 

Best in Agriculture

 

 

 

 

Nutritional Farming, Bogs

Beyond Organic Growing System ™ (BOGS™)

Entrant: Jana Bogs, PhD., Hawi

Prize: Inn at Kulaniapia retreat

The Beyond Organic Growing System ™ (BOGS™) is a new paradigm of farming which goes beyond traditional organic farming methods by focusing on improving the nutritional content of foods.  Food from this system is termed “Nutrition-Farmed™”.  Data from analyses of Nutrition-Farmed™ foods compared to USDA food nutrient composition tables show many-fold increases in vital nutrients such as calcium, iron, zinc and copper.

 

People’s Choice Award

 

 

 

 

Ecovillage, Ellis

Belly Acres Eco Village

Entrant: Graham Ellis, Seaview

Prize: Fairwinds Snorkle Tour

Activities on our eleven-acre artistic ecovillage have evolved since 1987 to create a working model of a self-sustainable community center, with a charter school, farmers market, plus a variety of culture and arts workshops and performances. Our mission is to creatively promote sustainable local community in Puna Makai. Our purpose is to provide inspiration and learned wisdom in a climate of economic downturn.

 

Best in Alternative Green Building

House Arc Pod

Entrant: Joseph Bellomo, Keauhou

Prize: Merriman’s Restaurant

An innovative, modular, and virtually off-the-grid housing system, this modular, curvaceous 150-square-foot structure represents a new model for compact and sustainable living. The project was conceived as a modest, easy-to-construct system that could act as both a gracious shelter for communities in need, and as an attractive solution for individuals interested in expansion.

 

Second Place – Alternative Transportation

Solar Powered Cart

Entrant: Allan Jensen, Mark Twain

Prize:: Farm-to-Fork cash award

Mobile power; allows for electric chain sawing of Christmas berry all over one’s property; transportation around the neighborhood; transportation around one’s farm; it eliminates noise pollution from gas chain saws.

 

Second Place – Agriculture

Portable Raised Gardens

Entrant: Tim Lloyd, Pahoa

The purpose of the Portable Raised Gardens from recycled pallets is to empower people in growing healthy food easily and safely in nearly any location.

Where there are goods being transported on pallets food can be grown with this system. This system allows people to save significant amounts of time and money on garden vegetables. It keeps pallets out of the landfill and green-waste facilities.

 

Second Place – Green Building

 

Eco Cabana, Li

Eco Cabana

Entrant: Danny Li, Keeau

Prize: Farm-to-Fork cash award

The bamboo framed EcoCabana showcases construction methods that use sustainable and local building materials such as bamboo. It promotes building with lighter, simpler and bolder designs on a small ecological footprint. Using lighter, simpler, better building structures can minimize material usage, while maximizing locally-sourced supplies (thus lowering fuel costs and ultimately greenhouse emissions.)

 

Third Place – Alternative Transportation

Solar electric assist recumbent trike

Solar Powered Electric Trike, Greenwald

Entrant: William Greenwald, Mark Twain

Prize: Farm-to-Fork cash award

The solar-powered electric assist trike has a range of about 30 miles, uses no gasoline, allows me to pedal, but have electric assist for hills, making it easier for a senior citizen like me. I still get exercise, but not the extreme challenge of steep hills to climb, which would be difficult. Since it requires no fuel or yearly registration or insurance, I am able to save much money, compared to a standard gasoline vehicle.

 

Third Place – Agriculture

Dew Point Systems – Growing Grapes in Hawaii Using Cold Sea Water

 

 

 

 

Cold deep sea water agriculture, Bailey

Entrant: Richard Bailey, Kailua-Kona

Prize: Hawaii Forest and Trail certificate

This project utilizes a new renewable resource that has tremendous potential for remote island locations like Hawaii.  As energy demand and costs continue rise, new sustainable economic means to produce agriculture will need to be invented.  This innovative approach opens new opportunity for the future.

 

Third Place – Green Building

Laminated beam structure, Anderson

Parabolic Bond Beam Construction System

Entrant: Aaron Anderson, Pahoa

Prize: Farm-to-Fork award

Light weight, affordable design that has curved rooflines and openings shaped to accommodate the shape of the human eyeball. Faster assembly and lightweight for easy delivery to site help keep the cost down. Truly Tropical Habitat relates to the environment and the occupants with mutually satisfying comfort.

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What People are Saying about the Contest

The event encouraged us that there are qualified and inspired people working to take care of Hawaii – the Big Island. Your contest gave us the welcome opportunity to meet some of these people and find out some of what they are involved in.

Thank you for hosting this contest!

I love to see interest in health-wise and green sustainability. This all sounds interesting and a hard choice to make. Thank YOU!!

Congratulations & Thank You for holding this “contest”.

My challenge is  in the Voting! They are All great ideas & as such, extremely hard to choose between.

Too many great choices – very hard decision!

Energy from the moon how cool is that!

Wonderful ideas that will benefit us all.

even tho i am one the list entrys, i am voting for nutritional farming  instead….quality food and soil is one of the basic roots of sustainable  living….mahalo jana for being here to educate and support us in attaining higher quality food and soil….

All the entrants are awesome, but I like the idea of using solar energy to lessen noise pollution and Co2 emissions.

Go green!

Mahalo nui loa for all your efforts in moving us toward sustainability!

Wish I could vote for more than one! There are so many worthwhile projects here

I like all of them but the portable raised garden is something I could actually build & use – thanx to Tim Lloyd for the great idea!

It is hard to make a decision, there are definitely a few projects that are very worthy. However I think small scale doable energy projects are so important for this time. Lots of small scale energy projects could replace the need to depend on HEI to move sustainable energy for communities all over Hawai’i.

My def. of sustainable includes the possibility that the ships will no longer come. Solar panels & molded plastics made in China, glue lams made of fir. All great “Buy Me” products. Even the lovely PATENTED Bamboo Links, which would get my vote for simple elegance. Neither grapes nor okra do it for me, but food IS where it’s at. (not enough space) William’s solution to our transportation problems here on the island is practical, useful in everyday life, and attainable for almost everyone , especially once bike lanes are built all over island. It could reduce ones carbon footprint astronomically while increasing ones health. Extra points for it already being in use.

House Arc Pod – I’d buy one of those:)

Growing highly nutritious food is most important, and must be assured first before the other creative innovations make any sense at all.

great and innovative ideas by all!

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The Innovation Challenge has been dedicated to the memory of Guy Toyama, a leading sustainability innovator that we were fortunate to share time with on the Island of Hawaii. Guy was always a beacon of hope, an open collaborator, and offered One Island ongoing encouragement. He will be greatly missed.