Hawaii Requires Solar Water Heaters
I always knew I liked Hawaii. Surf, sand, and endless sun make it a wonderful playground for anyone who enjoys being outdoors. But now I like it even more because they’ve just become the first state in the nation to require solar water heating systems in new single family homes. Governor Linda Lingle signed the measure, Act 204, which prohibits the issuance of building permits for single-family homes that do not have solar water heaters starting January 1, 2010. Exceptions will be allowed in some cases, such as houses built in locations with insufficient sunshine, or if the home uses another renewable energy source.
It’s a great step for a state that has so much renewable energy shining down in the form of sunshine. Ironically, Hawaii is the most oil-dependent state in the union. According to the state government website, “90 percent of our energy supply derived from imported fossil fuels. The unconnected power grids of our islands and our location as the world’s most isolated archipelago add to the challenges. As a result, we pay the highest utility rates and transportation fuel costs in the nation.”
But Hawaii doesn’t plan to stop there. In 2007, Governor Lingle signed the Global Warming Solutions Act, which requires statewide greenhouse gas emissions be reduced to 1990 levels by the year 2020, and in January 2008, the governor announced the Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative. The Initiative is a partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that aims to have at least 70 percent of Hawai‘i’s power come from clean energy by 2030.
“In addition to solar, it is critical that we continue to develop innovative energy solutions that capitalize on our natural renewable resource advantages in order to achieve our goal of having 70 percent clean energy in Hawai‘i by 2030,” Governor Lingle said.
Requiring solar waters is a good first step to reducing utility rates and moving toward the goal of 70 percent clean energy by 2030. Go Hawaii!
