09-03-2019, 11:24 AM
Aloha All,
Solar Hot Water Variances are all being rejected as of several months ago. This means hot water costs $7,000 or more, and it also makes it impossible for those who need the variance to obtain it.
I put in a call to Dean Masai to dig deeper. Seems some individuals filed a lawsuit because they didn't think the variance should be allowed (Oh how I would love to be able to direct these people's vast energy toward real issues). The judge somehow found in favor of the Plaintiffs and now the Energy Department has had their hands tied in passing any variances.
Digging even further, I read the new law that states that any propane on-demand water heater would have to be UL approved. No problem, right? Wrong.
UL deals with electric appliances. They do not deal with propane. So while the ignition system and other electric components are often UL approved (transformer, relay, wire and conduit), it doesn't seem likely that the UL commission, who don't deal at all with gas or propane appliances, will stick their neck out to say they approve of the whole unit.
Propane water heaters should be held to CSA International ANSI Z21.10.3 Standards for Gas Water Heaters, Volume III, Storage Water Heaters with Input Ratings Above 75,000 Btu/h NOT UL for the entire unit. It is a complete dropped ball and misunderstanding of UL ratings to insist otherwise.
This is paramount to code enforcement saying, "hey, to avoid being sued again, we are going to require catchment systems are UL approved". UL says they'll approve the pump, but the catchment tank is out of their scope. Government says, "Too bad then. No more catchment systems unless UL approves them". :O This needs fixed.
Now in order to change it I'm told by the Energy Department that we would have to talk to the legislators and change the law. Don't you just LOVE red tape? How about instead, some intelligent person high up recognize that the law just states that the heaters have to be UL approved, it doesn't say the entire unity has to be UL approved, so if the only part of the units that can POSSIBLY BE approved is proven approved, shouldn't that be enough???
Arg... Working on it...
Link to the law:
https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurren...6_0005.htm
Melissa Fletcher
___________________________
"Make yurts, not war" Bill Coperthwaite, 1973
Solar Hot Water Variances are all being rejected as of several months ago. This means hot water costs $7,000 or more, and it also makes it impossible for those who need the variance to obtain it.
I put in a call to Dean Masai to dig deeper. Seems some individuals filed a lawsuit because they didn't think the variance should be allowed (Oh how I would love to be able to direct these people's vast energy toward real issues). The judge somehow found in favor of the Plaintiffs and now the Energy Department has had their hands tied in passing any variances.
Digging even further, I read the new law that states that any propane on-demand water heater would have to be UL approved. No problem, right? Wrong.
UL deals with electric appliances. They do not deal with propane. So while the ignition system and other electric components are often UL approved (transformer, relay, wire and conduit), it doesn't seem likely that the UL commission, who don't deal at all with gas or propane appliances, will stick their neck out to say they approve of the whole unit.
Propane water heaters should be held to CSA International ANSI Z21.10.3 Standards for Gas Water Heaters, Volume III, Storage Water Heaters with Input Ratings Above 75,000 Btu/h NOT UL for the entire unit. It is a complete dropped ball and misunderstanding of UL ratings to insist otherwise.
This is paramount to code enforcement saying, "hey, to avoid being sued again, we are going to require catchment systems are UL approved". UL says they'll approve the pump, but the catchment tank is out of their scope. Government says, "Too bad then. No more catchment systems unless UL approves them". :O This needs fixed.
Now in order to change it I'm told by the Energy Department that we would have to talk to the legislators and change the law. Don't you just LOVE red tape? How about instead, some intelligent person high up recognize that the law just states that the heaters have to be UL approved, it doesn't say the entire unity has to be UL approved, so if the only part of the units that can POSSIBLY BE approved is proven approved, shouldn't that be enough???
Arg... Working on it...
Link to the law:
https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurren...6_0005.htm
Melissa Fletcher
___________________________
"Make yurts, not war" Bill Coperthwaite, 1973
Melissa Fletcher
___________________________
"Make yurts, not war" Bill Coperthwaite, 1973
___________________________
"Make yurts, not war" Bill Coperthwaite, 1973
