Hawaii Demands Solar Water Heaters
A new law concerning solar water heaters in Hawaii came to my attention. I decided to do some research on that law and saw this is in effect for all new homes starting in 2010. Supporters of the law say that the heaters will add about $5000 more to the cost of the home. Tell me if my math is right here. $5000 for the heater tacked to a 25-year mortgage. That would be 6% interest times $5000 = $300 annually. Spread that over 25 years and that turns the $300 into $7500, so that makes the total cost of the heater $12,500.According to solarpay.com.au the lifespan of a water heater is 10-15 years, while the solar collector itself will last 20-30 years. It seems that about time you finish paying that $12,500 for the solar water heating system, it’s going to be time to replace the unit. For myself, I see the 20-30 year lifespan of the collector to be on the high end.
A little research showed another problem with this law. It seems that Hawaii has a wide variety of weather. In some areas you can have as much as 10-12 hours of sunshine, while in others you might have as little as 5 hours of sun per day. Since the islands lie within the tropics, you have a wet and dry season instead of the four seasons you find north and south of the equator. In the slope areas you have some of the wettest areas in the world. They get an average of 400inches/10,000mm of rainfall. I would compare that to my state of South Carolina where we have an annual rainfall of about 50 inches. In South Carolina there have been times in the winter where the sun doesn’t shine for nearly a week.
The article goes on to say that this will save the homeowner in the long run. I know the cost of electricity in Hawaii is high, but they are going to save $12,500? If that system lasts the full 25 years of the mortgage length, I would be surprised. The Sierra club pushed through the law. Also this new law ended a $2500 tax credit on solar water heaters. The state house passed this 23-2. Clear to see who runs that state.
Another thing some might find a problem with many solar water heaters, are the toxic liquids used in the system. Water is a poor conductor of heat. You have to find something more conductive and that also resist freezing temperatures. Just like in automobiles, propylene glycol is the fluid of choice. Even though it’s considered fairly safe, it still has its drawbacks.
What is the party makeup of the Hawaii state legislature? In the Senate you have 23 Democrats and 2 Republicans. Have we seen those numbers before? In the House you have 46 Democrats and 5 Republicans.
There have been a lot of critics to this law, but once again the environmentalist won out. In today’s world it’s politically correct to be green. Elected officials are some of the most politically correct people around. They seem to think if they are to err, it must be to the side of the politically correct.
As always, I try to present you only the facts so that you can make up your own mind. For me, these facts tell an overwhelming fact, and that’s political correctness has once again run amuck.
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