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Hawaii's First Net-Zero Energy Affordable Housing Community

Kaupuni Village is a thriving self-sufficient and sustainable community and the first net-zero energy affordable housing community in the state.  It has achieved the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Platinum designation due to the extensive energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable technologies and practices incorporated throughout each of the 19 single-family homes.

NREL, the Department of Hawaiian Homelands (DHHL), the Hawaiian Electric Company, and others also provided training to more than 40 residents after assessing data collected on the energy features in the homes, including the electricity production of each home's photovoltaic system and the air conditioning usage. The monitored data shows that a majority of the homes in the community achieved net-zero energy. The homeowners' energy awareness and engagement, energy monitoring, and subsequent homeowner education was critical to Kaupuni reaching net-zero and helped residents understand how to monitor and optimize their energy use.

The Hawai'i Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI) is a partnership between the state of Hawaii and the U.S. Department of Energy to achieve the most aggressive clean energy goals in the nation. NREL worked with DHHL, Hawaiian Homelands Trust, and the architectural firm Group 70 International from the beginning of the project, starting with the design of each of the net-zero homes and the village's community center.

Additional Information

Learn more about NREL's Technical Assistance for Islands and Hawaii's Clean Energy Initiative.

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