01-05-2014, 05:57 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Carey
#4. Solar water heater or solar PV (grid tie or stand alone) plus flash heaters are OK, and some others... best to check on what is before you submit.
#6. Windows - simple custom sliders & jalousie - ALumside in Hilo. We have a mix of awning mfg - like the Coastal stack window we have with the stainless hardware the best... even far away from the ocean, our makai side of the house gets rust in the mechanism.... and awning windowsx can be left open in a rain storm without soaking anything inside....
Solar hot water will cost (net) about $1700 after all the tax credits and rebates, assuming you are filing taxes. Depending on usage, it will pay for itself in two years or so, then you'll have free hot water for life. The systems have electricity as a backup source of hot water for those times when you get several cloudy days in a row (like now). Get the largest tank size that you can afford. I think they are 80 or 120 gallons. A 120 gallon heater with a couple or a small family will store enough hot water that you would probably never need to use electric. We have the electric option on ours shut off and just deal with the cooler hot water when we get to day 4 or so of cloud cover. Turning it on for about 5 minutes is all you need to do to make enough hot water for a decent shower. That way you're only using 5 minutes worth of electricity at most doing that a handful of times each year. It does make hot water when its cloudy, just not very much of it. If you get an hour or so of sun break each day is really all you need.