By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Columnist

Solar water heating makes so much economic and environmental sense, it's hard to believe that some folks just don't like it.

An 'Ewa resident was recently fined and threatened with a lawsuit by his townhouse association for putting one on his garage roof. The association's concern, apparently, was that the installation could damage the roof or affect warranties on the building.

Other Hawai'i residents who live in multifamily complexes also have run into difficulties. While some apartment and condominium buildings have community solar arrays on their roofs, it is difficult for an individual owner to get access to the roof to install one.

But where it's possible, it makes a lot of sense, said Sierra Club Hawai'i Chapter Director Jeff Mikulina. "Solar water heaters are the single best choice for homeowners to reduce their electricity demands," he said.

A lot of folks in single-family homes agree. Hawaiian Electric Co. says it has now participated in the installation of 20,000 solar water heaters in Hawai'i homes.

"This is a milestone for Hawai'i, which leads in solar heater installations," said Hawaiian Electric communications consultant Peter Rosegg.

The company said most homeowners can reduce water heating costs — generally the largest single consumer of energy in a home — by 90 percent with solar heating.

In communities served by Hawaiian Electric's O'ahu, Maui and Hawai'i subsidiaries, residents can get a $750 rebate toward the cost of solar water heating systems, and many can take advantage of the 35 percent state tax credit for these systems.

There are also low-interest loans for low- and moderate-income residents who want to install systems. For more information on that, call the city at 523-4207 and ask about the Honolulu Solar Roofs Initiative, or check out special offers at the heco.com Web site.

The savings to the state include nearly 90,000 barrels of oil each year that otherwise would have been burned to produce the electricity for making hot water. Also saved is the air pollution that would have been caused by burning that much oil.

Hawaiian Electric estimates its customers are saving more than $6 million a year on their power bills, and more than $90 million over the lives of their solar water heating systems.

As a result of the popularity of solar water heaters in the Islands, Hawai'i leads the nation in the Department of Energy's Million Solar Roofs Initiative.

The initiative, announced by President Clinton in 1997, has set a goal of installing solar energy systems on 1 million buildings in the United States by 2010.

Jan TenBruggencate is The Advertiser's Kaua'i bureau chief and its science and environment writer. Reach him at (808) 245-3074 or jant@honoluluadvertiser.com.