What if every Hawaii home had a solar water heater? Imagine the millions of dollars and barrels of oil saved every year. Imagine the money you'd save on your electricity bill. Surely in sunny Hawaii, a solar water heating system should be as basic as indoor plumbing.

Well, that's what Republican Rep. Gene Ward thinks. And he's willing to make you buy one. House Bill 1836 would require existing single-family homes to be retrofitted with a solar water heating system by an (unspecified) date. If you don't install one, you would be charged a fee for non-compliance.

Perhaps this sounds like a proposal from an overreaching environmental activist. Or maybe even a socialist. But read on...

To make the burden less onerous, Ward offers various ways that make it easier to get a solar system. An increase in state tax credits, from 35 to 50 percent; low-interest loans, leases or grants; or "pay-as-you-save," with no down payment and a monthly charge to your electricity bill. The bottom line: You'll eventually make up the money, and then some, through a lower energy bill. You'll get these savings whether you install a water heater system or photovoltaics. And if there's a good reason not to install one — you live in a dark forest, for instance — the requirement would be waived.

Still not convinced? Read on...

With the incentives, a solar water heater can be had for about $800 dollars, Ward believes. It would pay for itself in less than 1.5 years, and for the rest of its estimated life — maybe 12-15 years — the owner would be pocketing the savings. That's real money, something that wouldn't motivate a true socialist.

But forcing single-family homeowners to install a solar panel just sounds wrong, right? Read on...

There are any number of things that one expects to come with a single-family house; you certainly wouldn't buy one without these basics: Toilets and showers, for instance. A kitchen sink. An oven and stove. Lights. A water heater. So why not a solar one? Converting the masses to a better technology certainly isn't unprecedented. After all, nobody buys records anymore. More and more, it's hard to find a regular incandescent light bulb — they're all CFLs. Analog TVs? Killed by government mandate. And try buying a new car without an air bag.

So why can't the same be done for something that is a plainly superior technology, that could save us least $1 billion of the $7 billion we spend on oil each year? Why can't we adopt a proven, easily available technology currently used by only about 30 percent of Hawaii homes? Why can't we as a 1.2 million-strong community unite to do something that's clearly in our best interests?

Perhaps the time is not right for such a drastic change. Perhaps oil is still too cheap. Perhaps yet another government mandate just sticks in the craw. But let's face it: The state of Hawaii is aiming at a 70 percent clean energy future by 2030. No one doubts that it's a worthy goal. The state is partnering with the federal Department of Energy to implement it. But as Ward correctly points out, without a sustained commitment from all of us, this ambitious plan amounts to little more than a robust handshake. To make it work, we'll have to take serious action.

Perhaps HB1836 simply explains how we're going to do it.

Tags: Department of Energy, Gene Ward, green technology, Hawaii, oil, photovoltaics, Solar energy, tax credit, water heater

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