Maui's Third Annual House of the Sun Solar Tour on Saturday will take people to visit homes and businesses that are trimming electricity costs, increasing energy independence and taking steps to address global warming.

The free event is sponsored by the nonprofit Hawaii PV Coalition and is part of a National Solar Tour that kicks off October as National Energy Awareness Month.

Tour hours are 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. To register, call 579-8288 or visit www.hawaiipvcoalition.org.

During the tour, property owners and experts will discuss the environmental reasons for going solar and the financial savings, including state and federal tax credits. Maui Community College's solar hot-water lab will be highlighted on the tour and UPC Hawaii Wind will provide information on its wind farm.

Sponsors include Sharp Electronics, Maui Electric Co., Rising Sun Solar Electric, ProVision Technologies, UPC Hawaii Wind and the American Solar Energy Society.