Soakin' Up The Sun - Not Hawaiian For "Tan" Anymore

Hawaii has always been a place known for surf, spam and sunshine. With weather like no other, the Hawaii solar industry is in a perfect position to help educate the public about the importance of solar. With the tax credits available from the State (35%) and Federal (30%), not to mention a Hawaii solar rebate ($750) from Hawaii Energy to qualified homeowners, there's no reason why a home/business owner should take advantage of harnessing the sun's energy to help reduce their electricity bill.

Based on SunPluggers.com, Hawaii is the fastest growing state with the fastest growth rate for solar adoption in 2009, when it added 10.8 watts per resident. That is a huge jump considering that there were more photovoltaic installations in Hawaii 2008 than the 7 previous years combined. Each day more and more homes and businesses are making the switch to free renewable energy.

Hawaii solar experts are predicting the industry won't be slowing down anytime soon. The reason....high electricity rates! Hovering at around 25 cents per kilowatt and likely to go even higher, now is the right time for consumers to start thinking of benefits solar has to offer. The advice I tell my customers are "There is one way to offset high cost of living in Hawaii without hurting their pockets....SOLAR". Benefits of solar are endless.

You have:

• Unlimited sunshine
• Tax credits
• Increased equity
• More jobs
• More money

Being a Hawaii solar company consultant for over 5 years, the number one concern I get from homeowners is "I don't have the money". Many assume a payment in full or a huge down payment which automatically turns them away from the subject of purchasing a solar system. With a down economy it would be easy to understand being frugal would be the right thing to do. The great thing about solar is, it's an investment that will pay for itself. With financing options available, getting a system installed is easy to do.

An average homeowner spends around $200 a month in electricity. A solar water heating system or start up photovoltaic system will save an average home around $50-$60 a month which is equivalent to a 25-30 percent savings.

With the new law in effect that all new homes must require solar water heating, the timing could have not gotten any better. It's our chance to help Hawaii less dependent on imported fossil fuel and reach its goal of being 70 percent powered using clean energy by 2030. In my opinion, with more Hawaii solar companies being established in just the last couple years, Hawaii might reach its goal way sooner than expected...which is a good thing.

The best complement as a consultant is when I'm at the beach eating a musubi, checking out the surf and I come across a Hawaii solar company customer in the water and I get reminded of how much they love their solar system.