Hawaii may mandate solar water heaters

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080314/NEWS01/803140386/1001/NEWS01

Posted on: Friday, March 14, 2008

Hawaii may mandate solar water heaters

By Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Staff Writer

With the price of oil surpassing $100 a barrel, state lawmakers are taking a serious look at requiring new homes in Hawai'i to have solar water-heating systems.

Two House committees yesterday advanced a bill that would require the installation of solar thermal water heaters in single-family homes built after Jan. 1, 2010. It also would restrict the current state solar thermal energy system tax credit to homes built before 2010.

"With these high (oil) prices and the uncertainty of state revenues, it justifies a real close look at a mandate," said House Energy and Environmental Protection Committee Chairwoman Hermina Morita.

If the legislation becomes law, Hawai'i would be the first state with such a mandate, according to the Sierra Club Hawai'i chapter.

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[Make7]

1. They'll look pretty foolish when the Sun dies... ( n/t )

[kestrel91316]

2. I support mandating solar hot water heat in ALL new residential

construction in the US, especially multi-family dwellings. But then, I'm weird.