Requiring Solar Water Heaters

Aloha,
 
Last year the Senate passed SB 644 SD 3 which requires that solar water heaters be installed on all new single family and multi-family residential buildings. The bill is currently up for a joint hearing by the House Committee on Human Services & Housing  (Rep Shimabukuro) and the House Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection (Rep Morita).

This bill is alive.

''Morita also said she plans to hear a bill to require solar water heaters for all new homes in Hawai'i. The measure, introduced by Hooser last year, stalled last session but carried over to this year and can still be revived.''  (EIS exemption bill moves on By Lynda Arakawa, Honolulu Advertiser, March 9, 2008)

The Hawaii Solar Energy Association (HSEA) has vigorously opposed this bill, since their members make money by going to new home owners and getting some of them to install solar water heaters. The HSEA believes that developers, if required, will use in-house solar water heater installers which will cut them out of the market.

Life of the Land's proposed amendment would solve this problem.

''The installation of a solar water heater qualifies for utility rebates and state tax credits if and only if (a) the installer is a company primarily engaged in installing solar water heaters, and (b) the installer is in good standing with the Hawaii Solar Energy Association.''

We need to send emails to Representatives Morita & Shimabukuro to hear this bill

Representative Hermina M. Morita – repmorita@Capitol.hawaii.gov>,
Representative Maile S. L. Shimabukuro – repshimabukuro@Capitol.hawaii.gov>

Henry Curtis, Executive Director, Life of the Land
www.lifeofthelandhawaii.org
henry.lifeoftheland@gmail.com