Aloha, Solar

If you needed another reason to dream about moving to Hawai'i, how about this: it's about to get greener. Residents there already use less energy than almost anyone else in the country. Now the island state may become the first to require solar water heaters in new homes. The state legislature yesterday approved the mandate, which now heads to Governor Linda Lingle's office for signature.

By requiring developers to use solar, the legislature says it would shift the burden of investing in solar technology from government (via tax credits) to the private sector. If passed, the law would take effect in January 2010, but tax credits would remain in place for people who buy solar systems for homes built with pre-2010 permits.

The Aloha State has good reason to take the lead on this kind of law. In addition to facing some of the most pressing consequences of climate change, Hawai'i has electricity rates among the highest in the country. The Sierra Club Hawai'i Chapter, which backed the bill, calculated that the water heaters could shave off as much as $1,000 from Kauai households' annual utility bills.

Although the bill wasn't without opposition, it passed the state senate and house with only two dissenting votes. According to the legislature, Hawai'i saw 5,700 new homes built in 2006. Solar water heating systems in that many homes could prevent more than 10,260 tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the course of a year.

Want to save money on your own water heating bills? Learn about green ways to go (solar is just one option) from Sierra Magazine. If you have already taken steps to slash your utility bill, share your tips here.

Comments

[Dean]

It easier to keep your energy use low when it's warm most or all of the time, and the cost of that energy is high. Moving to Hawaii would be well out of reach for most incomes in the US...

[kentuckyann]

Hawaii has, arguably, the best climate of any state in the US. Before massive construction started covering Oahu with concrete, there was virtually no need for heating or cooling. It has only been with the advent of sealed buildings that suddenly there needs to be conditioned air. Look at the University - not one window can be opened. Talk about not using a place's assets to your benefit! If only we could rebuild with a bit of common sense in design!

The amazing climate also provided Hawaii with a completely self-sustainable local food economy before Big Agriculture decided it would be a better idea to grow sugar and pineapples there with chemicals, to be shipped many miles away. Now, most of Hawaii's food is IMPORTED. This is not an improvement. We would be better off to go in reverse.

Not to mention the endangered species that are rapidly disappearing with the continued encroachment by human development and the introduced invasives. http://blog.yert.com/?s=biofuels

If you DO move to Hawaii, please try to respect where you are and don't try to bring the mainland with you. We spent 2 weeks there on Your Environmental Road Trip (www.YERT.com) and found mostly that the islands are really suffering. Sometimes less really is more.

[Sara B., Norfolk]

I wish VA (my state) would enact some green legislation...instead, the state is considering building a new coal-powered plant. Stuck in the dark ages!!!

[Jim Cahalan]

We need to think about more than the environmental benefits of moving to Hawaii. Native Hawaiians have dealt with an unwanted colonization for over a hundred years and most would not want more non-natives coming to the islands (see "Lovely Hula Hands by Haunani-Kay Trask).

[CMStewart]

I spent 7 months in Oahu. The natives tolerate tourists, but they do not want more haole moving to their islands.

[cieboy]

There is enough stress on the Hawaiian islands without more people moving there. Instead the article should have used Hawaii's example as an inspiration for others to do as well in their home states.

[Norma Desprez]

Thanks for the tip. I have had a solar hot water system since 1984, one of the first in the are, made front page news in the local paper. It was down for a few years because nobody knew how to fix it, but it's up and running again now with a new roof under it. This one will provide me with hot water without any electricity. A subsidy helps.

[Josie Garthwaite]

Thanks Dean, Jim Cahalan, Cieboy, CMStewart, and Kentuckyann for your points about moving to the islands. I've clarified the post with a greener option. Cieboy has suggested a great next step: use the new bill as inspiration for greening your home state. Let us know if you've done this and keep us posted on your efforts!

[Frank Dinger]

In January this year I visited the Sierra Club's Clair Tappaan Lodge ,where I met a couple based in Arizona. Discussing Hot Water solar panels they said that with the current gas prices installing solar panels was NOT economical . The fixed fee for having gas was relatively high compared with the cost of metered natural gas.
In the LA area ,Torrance -Redondo Beach I only have seen a few domestic solar panels for hot water. Probable reason is that (electrical) energy is still too cheap to warrant installing these panels and associated equipment.
There should be some incentives to include these panels in new construction projects ,but that needs political will.

Frank in northern Scotland-UK

[lilhapa]

I strongly agree with the comment by cieboy and CMStewart. In addition, wealthy mainlanders moving to the islands have jacked up housing prices so high that many locals can't afford to buy homes.

And what is "Kuau'i"? Is this supposed to be Kauai?

Come on Sierra Club! I appreciate these daily tips, but this one could have used more research and thoughtfulness.

[Janet]

I often see tips about wrapping water heaters but nothing is said about timers on heaters. My x put a timer on the water heater so that it was on for 3 hours in the am and 2 hours in the evening. Works great, if one runs out of hot water there is a switch to start it again.

[Lehua]

I save a lot of money on my monthly power bills by not having a dishwashing machine, no microwave oven, bathing in lukewarm water, my laundry is washed in cold water and I use a clothesline to dry my laundry...just like back in the good old days!

[Marilyn Escobar]

I've had a solar water heater for a decade. I love it! I got a subsidy from my energy provider, SMUD. The water gets HOT! I hope that California gets a solar water heating program too!