Hawai‘i’s solar mandate now effective

HONOLULU — A new law became effective Friday that requires all new homes built in Hawai‘i to be equipped with solar or other energy efficient hot water systems, according to a news release.

Hawai‘i was the first state in the nation to pass such legislation.

“The monumental achievement of passing the solar mandate puts Hawai‘i at the forefront of an idea whose time has come,” said the bill’s introducer, Senate Majority Leader Gary Hooser, D-Kaua‘i, Ni‘ihau. “With this single law we have taken a giant leap in leading the nation with policy on the issue of sustainability.”

While allowing for other energy efficient choices, the new law is widely seen as a solar hot water mandate and is expected to cut home energy usage in Hawai‘i by an average of 30 percent starting in 2010, according to a state-issued press release. Solar hot water heating also reportedly lowers the net cost of home ownership. The net cost includes the cost of solar installation, mortgage impacts and electricity savings. Additionally, the owner can net roughly $25 to $50 per month in savings from day one of the installation.

“Hawai‘i is our home and it is our kuleana to care for it,” said Hooser. “But preserving the natural beauty of our islands is also a key selling point that attracts tourists to Hawai‘i and stimulates our economy.”

With an average of 5,000 homes built in Hawai‘i each year, solar system installations are expected to create job opportunities for the state’s unemployed.

When the bill was signed into law by Gov. Linda Lingle on June 26, 2009, Hooser said, “Hawai‘i is almost totally dependent on imported oil for its energy needs and estimates show that, with this law, our oil consumption will be cut by 30,000 barrels during the first year and will continue to decline exponentially thereafter.”

Hooser has announced his intention to run for lieutenant governor in 2010.