California will require solar panels on new homes.

[EightFingers]

... starting January 1,2020.
What I’m wondering is Hawaii going to do the same?

[geochem]

quote:

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Originally posted by EightFingers

... starting January 1,2020.
What I’m wondering is Hawaii going to do the same?

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sure, why not, housing costs are so low here, everyone can afford another $40K on their mortgage.... The idea, no doubt, being pushed by the Hawaii solar industry...

[randomq]

I'm all for solar, especially off-grid or micro-grid, but:

1. Housing is already insanely expensive, as is the markup on professionally installed solar. Can we really say we're fighting homelessness if the cost of an entry-level home is forced up even higher?

2. You just know HELCO will not upgrade their grid ahead of time, but instead declare a crisis and expect special fees or taxpayer bailouts to modernize, in addition to the usual rate hikes.

[kalakoa]

Housing is already insanely expensive, as is the markup on professionally installed solar.

Sounds like the "problem" is actually specialty trade licensure and ever-more-burdensome permit requirements.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

cost of an entry-level home is forced up even higher?

The cost of a NEW home would be higher.
An existing older home would be more affordable without the solar requirement. Many first time buyers already purchase an older home even now, as they usually cost less.

[kalakoa]

An existing older home would be more affordable without the solar requirement.

Existing older homes will enjoy inflated pricing due to their "cost-avoidance".

Hawaii requires solar hot water; builders managed to find an exemption. I expect no different from the California solar panel mandate.

[terracore]

First, they force all homes to connect to the monopoly utility, then they force them to provide the commodity the monopoly charges them for.

You can't make this stuff up. The lunatics aren't running the asylum, the special interest lobbyists are.

Hopefully off-grid will be an option, then they will "only" be forcing the consumers to subsidize strip mining and child slavery in far-away third-world countries that mine lead, lithium and cobalt and don't have any clean water to drink.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

they will "only" be forcing the consumers to subsidize strip mining... child slavery... that mine lead, lithium and cobalt and don't have any clean water to drink.

Versus clean coal, clean oil, and clean uranium?

[terracore]

It's almost like the physicists are right... there is no such thing as free energy. Economics and politics? Those we have in abundance. Especially politics.

The monopoly could add solar power without making it's buyers pay to put it on their roofs (purchase, installation, AND maintenance, including tree trimming, etc). If this doesn't sound like "special interest" motivation.... what does?

This isn't an energy issue. It's a who-are-we-going-to-screw to make-them-pay-for-their-own-energy-and-pocket-revenues issue, and all the filthy political maneuvering that allowed this to happen.

ETA: content

[glinda]

My take.. we have to stop with the fossil fuel. Period. Gov should issue a drop dead date.. and everyone will fall in line. Solar, wind, whatever, it don't matter. And the cost.. screw anyone that bitches about cost. You ain't got the money, fine, do without.

To be honest, the utility will be the one that works the hardest to implement green tech. They're just holding on to fossil fuel because they can, to save money, even if it is the demise of the environment. Short term gain for hell on Earth, just doesn't seem like a good plan. But when your shareholders want dividends every 6 months, well, screw Mother Earth.