Driving south from the Kona International Airport towards Kailua-Kona you'll spot a large mysterious group of buildings with an equally large and mysterious photovoltaic (solar) panel installation just inside its gate. Although it looks like some sort of top-secret military station, this is the site of the Natural Energy Lab of Hawaii, NELHA for short, where scientists, researchers, and entrepreneurs are developing and marketing everything from new uses for solar power to energy-efficient air-conditioning systems and environmentally friendly aqua-culture techniques. Visitors are welcome at the lab, and there are 1½-hr tours for those interested in learning more about the experiments being conducted.
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