BYU–Hawaii: Rooted in Tradition, Focused on a Sustainable Future

Note: This is the third in a series of reports on environmental stewardship projects by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The topics have included water conservation, waste management and solar energy.

On the North Shore of Oahu, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is making significant strides in environmental sustainability, driven by the Hawaiian concept of “kuleana,” or stewardship.

“In ancient Hawaii, there was no ownership of land,” said Brigham Young University–Hawaii President John S. K. Kauwe III, who grew up skin diving off Hawaii’s beaches. “You were given ‘kuleana,’ [which] came with both a stewardship and a responsibility to use the land to bless the lives of others.”

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It’s a philosophy that guides the leader of the Church-owned school today.

“It’s so well aligned with the gospel directive that we have to be righteous stewards of the natural world that comes from our Savior Jesus Christ,” he said. “It’s very well aligned with the needs of this university and the culture of ancient Hawaii.”

Because its isolated location on the North Shore limits all aspects of its environmental resources, BYU–Hawaii is embracing the kuleana spirit by implementing sustainable practices across its campus — as well as at the Laie Temple and the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC).

Greg Maples, vice president of PCC food services, emphasized the collaborative effort.

“We have a partnership together. And we share information. We share data,” Maples said. “We are working together to try to reduce that footprint right here on this side of the island.”

Together, they hope to make these Church-owned properties energy-independent in 2026.

“Our phase one is already done, and that’s about a third of our campus needs for electrical,” said Kevin Schlag, BYU–Hawaii vice president of operations.

“My vision for BYU–Hawaii into the future is that we will be on the leading edge of the strategies and solutions that will make Hawaii and all of Asia and the Pacific a much healthier and brighter and better place for future generations,” President Kauwe said. “It’s at the forefront of our minds to ensure that this university and this community, obviously the Laie Hawaii Temple, that all of those things can persist in a way that blesses the lives of our families and our communities for many generations.”

Solar Panels, Cooling and Heating, Water Control and Food

Currently, about four acres of solar panels sit atop parking structures and rooftops at BYU–Hawaii, with three banks of batteries for energy storage.

“If you’re looking at what our solar panels look like, they’re not intrusive,” President Kauwe noted. “People love the fact that their car is shaded and protected from the elements to a certain extent. It’s all been very practical. We’re really excited about having solutions that are meaningful and provide many benefits in many ways.”

A planned seven-acre solar farm with eight more battery banks will further enhance energy sustainability. “That will mean that we have 100% of our electrical needs for the Polynesian Cultural Center for BYU–Hawaii and the Laie Temple, as well as at least five days of battery backup, all provided by the sun,” Schlag said.

BYU–Hawaii's commitment extends beyond solar energy. The university uses a centralized chilled water system to cool buildings efficiently.

“What that means is that we get water really cool, and then we send it through pipes and we blow air over it. That then creates some cool air for us,” Schlag said.

This process warms the returning water, which is then reused, eliminating the need for numerous hot water heaters across campus.

New student housing is designed to maximize natural ventilation, reducing the need for air conditioning. Additionally, the campus is being outfitted with low-flow water fixtures, smart irrigation controllers, and LED lights with occupancy sensors.

“We’re not lighting up or cooling down a room that’s not being used,” Schlag said.

A Learning Experience for Students

These sustainability efforts benefit the local community and provide valuable learning experiences for BYU–Hawaii’s 3,200 students.

“Our students can benefit greatly from us being at the leading edge of sustainability efforts, ensuring that they can go back to their homes and their communities and bless their lives,” President Kauwe said.

Eddie Heng, a student from Cambodia, is contributing to the campus through his work at the Banyan Dining Hall herb garden.

“I want to give some things back that I could help to the school,” Heng said.  

After persistently seeking a role, Heng was hired to tend to planters outside the kitchen. “He just took off. He went on YouTube, the internet, did his research and planted everything that’s in here,” said BYU–Hawaii’s executive chef, President Tafilisaunoa Galea’i.

“I do online and personal experiments with the plant itself here,” Heng explained. “Also, sometimes I ask my parents who have a better understanding about a plant.”

Heng’s efforts transformed a neglected area into a thriving garden, providing fresh ingredients for the Banyan Dining Hall.

“I am inspired to come here and work as a gardener and grow all different kinds of food and herbs to help students from the islands and Asian countries to remind them of the food they have back home,” Heng said.

Eddie’s garden is part of the university’s Edible Campus program, which includes planting fruit trees for students to enjoy. “When students want a healthy snack on the way to class, they can just go right outside and pick fruit right off the tree,” Schlag said.

Food sustainability is also a focus at the Lanihuli Gardens on campus, where students cultivate native plants and manage green waste.

“We’re harvesting almost every week,” said Kihei Nahale-a, education manager of the campus’s Kumuwaiwai Center for Sustainability. “When volunteers come, they can pick up a little bit of food, herbs or crops to take home to add to their diet.”

These efforts provided support to many students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We feel like we’re just playing a role in understanding the importance of sustainability and helping our students to become great disciple leaders for sustainable tomorrows anywhere they end up,” Nahale-a said.

Polynesian Cultural Center

The PCC is also prioritizing sustainability. “We started to install solar here at the Polynesian Cultural Center in partnership with BYU,” Maples said. “We have them on the top of our Pacific theater. We also have them on our maintenance building, and those are put into place to try to offset some of the cost, try to get our loads lower, and to do all that we can to reduce our footprint on the main grid.”

The Gateway Buffet restaurant utilizes robots, efficient ovens, and dishwashers to minimize waste. “The kids love it,” said Liana Apelu, manager at PCC’s dining services. “The students and servers are out on the floor being able to focus more on our customers and their needs because of the help of the robots being present and part of our workforce.”

The robots haul over 50 pounds of soiled dishes to the kitchen, saving time for student workers. “That has saved so much time for our students,” Apelu said.

The dining service’s cook-to-order system helps maintain efficiency and reduce waste.

“We’ll order it when we’re on our last pan,” said Misty Rose Keanu, the PCC’s director of dining services. “That way the kitchen will make it as we need it. Then we have a lot of control on food waste that way.”  

Efficiency is further enhanced by smart ovens. “Those ovens are so much more energy-efficient,” said Maples. “We’ve been able to reduce our load, reduce the amount of energy that we use, and using technology, which has been incredible because we have ovens that you can cook three different products at three different temperatures for three different times at the same time, all by an app on my chef's phone. Incredible.”

The dishwashers also use two-thirds less water than older models. “We’re looking at every opportunity to reduce our footprint when it comes to every kind of equipment,” Maples said.  

The PCC is committed to minimizing food waste. Leftover food provides meals for 400 student employees daily, and meals are given to the homeless through local charities.

“The only food waste really that’s left for us are the ones that are the scrapings in our slot bins,” Keanu said. Food scraps are hauled to local farmers, ensuring no food waste ends up in landfills. “So that’s sustainability for us,” Keanu said. “We only have one island. You know, we want to take care of this land.”

The Church of Jesus Christ and Renewable Energy Adoption

BYU–Hawaii’s sustainability efforts reflect a broader commitment within Church-owned properties worldwide. Solar power is already used on over 750 meetinghouses across dozens of countries on every inhabited continent, ranging from Mexico to Brazil, Ghana to remote islands in the South Pacific, such as Papua New Guinea.

These solar energy systems afford many benefits to the Church and surrounding community including electricity cost savings and reliability, and where batteries are also installed, extended use of the Church building into evening hours for youth and other educational programs.

“We’re expanding rapidly in developing countries that have really quite poor power systems,” said Peter F. Meurs, the Church’s Pacific Area President. “This is such a blessing to have experience with the technology that we can now use to completely transform people’s lives. It’s so amazing.”

Additional Resources

• Church to Complete Water Conservation Project in 2025

• How the Church Manages Material Waste

• Environmental Sustainability in Church Operations