2010 A Great Year for Renewable Energy in Hawaii

The new year is shaping up to be a great one for renewable energy in Hawaii.

• First, Hawaii's "solar roof" law (Act 204) went into effect January 01. This law mandates that all new homes have a solar hot water system installed.
• Second, the La Ola 1.2 MegaWatt solar farm on Lanai is up and running (YouTube video). The electric utility estimates this will provide 30% of the island's peak load.
  
• First Wind is pursuing plans to expand wind energy generation on Maui and install new generating capacity on Molokai and Oahu.
  
• The final EIS for the Honolulu Seawater Air Conditioning cooling system planned for downtown Honolulu has been published.
  
• HIPL member Temple Emanu-El is negotiating with a local company to install a photovoltaic electricity generating system on their property. The congregation is taking advantage of a purchase power agreement to reduce the cost and receive the tax credit benefits from the federal and state governments that are not directly available to non-profits.
• Finally, HIPL is negotiating with a local photovoltaic supplier and installer to provide discounts to HIPL member households for bundled purchases of household PV systems. Contact hipl@hipl.org or check back regularly for updates.