Should all Hawaii residence have a solar panels for their electicity and water heater?
Answer:
Water heater is a big yes. Electricity is a maybe. The local electric company has to be able to balance the solar with reliable sources of power. When most people think of solar they don't think of the expensive batteries and noisy inverter that is required to store the power. Without long term storage the electric company would get hit with big swings in power need as people switched from solar to the grid and back again as storms moved overhead. To handle this rapid shift the utility would have to have more units on than it would take to power the island anyway. For example if you had an island with a load of 100MW and during the day a series of clouds were going to block the sun as they passed over the island the electric company would have to have 20x the amount of generators online (but backed down) to handle the customers switching back and forth. Having 2000MW of generation backed down but online is not as economical as you would like.
I think when I lived there (97-2000) there was a tax rebate for people that set up solar wter heaters. But even if you live in a place that doesn't get much sun, a solar water heater can still be helpful.
Sure why not that would help the environment plus there would be cheaper electricity.
Sure why not.
However, to require everyone to have them would take some government subsidy, either a credit for buying, tax credit for having it, or at least some reasonable time frame to allow people to save money to purchase and install.
Why stop at Hawaii? I think all people on earth should have them.
Absolutely! What a tremendous resource! Not just in Hawaii, but anywhere you live. Not only are you helping to save our planet, but you could also save a lot of money in the process.
they should make solar panel cheaper
That's a great idea. More and more people are warming up to solar, wind, and other alternative energy sources. Here's one company that is stepping up to the plate:
The Honolulu Solar Roofs Initiative program offers low-interest loans (0% or 2%) to qualified homeowners to help them install Solar Water Heating Systems on their homes. Owners who rent a majority of the units on the property to low-income families within the fair market rent and who agree to meet certain conditions are also eligible. Through a partnership between Hawaiian Electric Company and The City and County of Honolulu this program was designed to assist families in the low to moderate-income bracket, and to owners who rent a majority of their units to low-income families. By installing a solar water heating system, you can expect to save over 90% of the electricity you would normally use with an electric resistance water heater. HECO will also give you an instant $750 rebate on your system. And the State of Hawaii offers a 35% tax credit for solar systems. The credit is based on the actual cost of the system less the $750 HECO incentive amount. If you have further questions or comments about the low-interest loan you can call 523-4207 or you can visit www.co.honolulu.hi.us for more information or to download a loan application. If you have additional questions about installing a solar water heating system on your home, please call our hotline at 94-POWER (947-6937).
http://www.heco.com/portal/site/heco/men...
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