By Allison Young
Small business owner Brandon Tengan of Ichikawa Lighting spends a lot of time looking up.
As an official trade ally for KIUC, Brandon helps businesses be more energy efficient to save money on their monthly electric bills.
Lighting makes up about 17% of a member’s bill. Replacing older light fixtures with energy-efficient LED bulbs can significantly reduce a business’ electricity costs. The best part is, commercial members are eligible to receive 50% to 100% on new lights and equipment through KIUC’s commercial retrofit program.
How It Works
When a commercial member contacts KIUC, Commercial Energy Services Specialist Kyle Cremer schedules a free initial assessment on-site with Ichikawa Lighting. At the visit, Brandon looks at every lighting opportunity on the property and makes recommendations: how to drop the total wattage, what lighting color temperature is preferred and installation requirements.
“We know how busy, dedicated and passionate business owners can be, so we do all the homework—everything from A-Z—so they can concentrate on their business,” Kyle says. “The only thing they need to do is have the lights installed.”
Brandon gives members recommendations. Once Ichikawa Lighting delivers the new lightbulbs, members can choose a licensed electrician to install them.
Why KIUC Wants to Help
Not only are they less efficient and have a shorter life span, but fluorescent, CFL, halogen, high-pressure sodium and incandescent lightbulbs produce more heat than LEDs. Businesses end up with a higher heat load, and air conditioning use increases. Air conditioning is one of the biggest costs on a member’s bill. The heat from older lights could make air conditioners run less efficiently, resulting in higher electricity use.
“One of the main challenges of this program is members think it’s too good to be true,” Brandon says.
Educating members about how the electric grid works can help build understanding.
The grid functions optimally with less demand. By replacing old lightbulbs with energy-efficient ones, the overall wattage decreases, ultimately reducing electricity consumption and lowering electric bills. To avoid a potential for rolling blackouts—when demand exceeds supply—every little bit helps. The State of Hawai‘i has passed recent legislation that will eventually ban the sale of these older bulbs.
Understanding the Bottom Line
Kyle and Brandon have small-business backgrounds and can relate to commercial members’ concerns and needs.
Kyle, who has a degree in refrigeration and air conditioning, was director of engineering at a major worldwide brand and a self-employed contractor installing and repairing appliances and air-conditioning units for commercial businesses and residential homes before he came to work at KIUC.
Brandon, who graduated college with a degree in information technology, took his first IT job at PMRF. After a few corporate IT jobs, he felt the drive to become an entrepreneur starting—and eventually selling his share of—a business producing cooler bags on O‘ahu. In 2022, he took a leap, moved with his wife and two young children to Kaua‘i and bought Ichikawa Lighting from original owner Ross Ichikawa, who retired after 35 years in the industry.
“Anyone can achieve business success if you have the drive to learn and aren’t afraid of taking some financial risks,” Brandon says.
Now that he’s here, he really enjoys living and working on a neighbor island again.
“Both my parents are from neighbor islands, so the lifestyle has always been familiar,” he says. “It’s a great place for families.”
To apply for the commercial retrofit program or find out more information about becoming a trade ally, email Kyle Cremer at energyservices@kiuc.coop or call 808-246-4300.