Under a law that took effect on New Year's Day, new homes in Hawaii will have to have solar water heating systems.
Hawaii is the first state to have such a requirement.
Rebates and incentives offered by utility Hawaiian Electric Company and the state will be phased out, said Inter-Island Solar Supply manager Ron Richmond to the Honolulu Advertiser. The cost of solar hot water heaters – about $5,000 to $6,000 – will be absorbed into the cost of new homes.
But, said Blue Planet Foundation executive director Jeff Mikulina, solar water heaters can save so much on energy that they will pay for themselves within a decade. Utility bill reductions of 30 to 40 percent are standard, he suggested to the newspaper, enabling homeowners to save about $750 per year.
There is a loophole to the new rule: builders can install tankless gas water heaters as long as they install another gas appliance.
Homeowners who follow the law will contribute to Hawaii's green energy future, though. The state is the most oil-dependent in the country and pays the highest electricity costs; saving money with solar power will be welcome to state residents.
