Petitition to Restore Solid Support for Nascent Solar Industry

 The solar industry was just breaking into a stride, exactly what a decade of Utility and Governmental support was trying to achieve.     Then the State abruptly chopped off a good amount of support, last year, with a large and confusing tax credit cut.   Then the electrical unions tried to take over the market utilizing DCCA "rules", when that happens, costs will go WAY up.   Then HECO started throwing impediments into peoples way, delaying or not allowing NEM agreements and meters, or adding unexpected costs.

All of these are questionable not just in practicality, but in legality.   There is a long standing State Energy policy related to renewable energy, and that is LAW.

Using temporary administrative rules to change the tax credits is not right.      They should NOT change the LAW--the State Energy policy by using a "temporary decree".

Nor should the DCCA use rules to favor a union over others who have been in the business for decades, there should be a well studied law change to make such a critical decision.

And finally, HECO should not just change the "rules" in midstream.   The rules should be well thought out and only changed by PUC law change.

Amazing that an up and coming industry can be attacked from so many directions. 

How to save electricity

FREE Hot Water Solar System for a Non Profit 501(C)3 Charity on Oahu

Solar HOT WATER System Donation -- FREE!

We are gearing up to do a Charity 501 (c) (3) HOT WATER Solar Donation.         This is not Photovoltaic (solar electric).

We WILL do this system in April of 2013, before the summer rush starts.   This is a $6500 GIFT, do not delay. 

If your organization meets all these requirements, then email us with your information

1) Valid 501 (c) 3 Charity
2) On the Island of Oahu
3) Have an existing electric water heater, and use a good amount of hot water
4) Have room for a 24" diameter solar water heater.
5) You are ready to start saving money right away
6) Must be an organization that directly helps people or animals

REPEAT--this is for solar Hot Water, this IS NOT for solar electric

IF your organization meets all these criteria, please write us with the the Charity name, 501 (c) 3 number, size of existing tank, what your charity does at this facility, and a 1 or 2 line explanation of why you can use solar hot water.

EMAIL to

solar@pacific-energy.com

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We have in stock -- (1) Refurbished 80 gallon tank and (1) 4x10 panel and the balance of system, this will be a complete working system.    This can handle up to 4 people for normal household usage as an example.   The savings would be between $75 and $125 a month.

Your usage can be higher, and we can use the solar tank as a preheater for the your existing tank.    There just need to be room for  a 24" diameter solar tank next to the existing tank. 
 
We are looking for a legitimate Charitable Organization -- 501 (c) (3)

The facility must have an existing hot water heater, preferably electric, and must have significant demands for hot water usage in order to make these really worth it!

The savings from a simple  Hot water solar system can be in the range of $48,000 to $74,000 over the life of the system, so we think this is an awesome gift for someone who can't afford it. Non-profit organizations also cannot use the tax credits, so in order to do a solar they would have to pay "Full List Price".

So this is the perfect way to help out a non-profit charitable organization who has hot water usage. 

If you know the organization that has a need for free hot water, please let us know.





Mahalo!

HECO Bill from recent PV customer

Permit Fees for PV installation

From today's StarAdvertiser.    You can double click below for the larger view. 

Solving Communicating with EMU

Troubleshooting “Connecting” problem

If your Microinverter system is listed by Enphase as “connecting” then something is wrong.  It should connect easily when the right elements are in place.

First questions

1 1) Do you have the EMU and Bridge (the Bridge is a pair of small repeaters or amplifiers which lets you plug in the EMU and one Bridge electrically closer to the microinverters, while the other Bridge goes by your computer router)

2)   Do you have a computer router?    If you want to use the monitoring system you need a computer router, they are not that expensive, around $40 to $50. 

http://www.amazon.com/Cisco-Linksys-WRT54GL-Wireless-G-Broadband-Router/dp/B000BTL0OA/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1357664609&sr=8-5&keywords=router

We show a wireless router above since they are very common these days, but it doesn’t have to be wireless, and in fact the EMU itself is NOT WIRELESS at all.   Wireless routers also have wired connections ports in the back, you need to plug the EMU (or bridge) into a wired port on the router.

If you don’t have a router and don’t plan on getting one, let us know by email at

solar@pacific-energy.com

and we will stop trying to get you connected

   3)  After the EMU (and maybe the bridges) have been plugged into the power for a while – then does the EMU say “+web” on it?    If not, it means you are not connecting to the web, and until you get it connected to the web, nothing will work on the communications side.   NOTE that it can take some time for the EMU to “find” the router even after plugged directly in (5 to 30 minutes would be normal).  It can take the Bridge even longer to find the Web even when plugged in correctly (5 to 4 hours)

   4) NOTE the lack of a “+Web” communication verification doesn’t affect your power production, the microinverter operate on their own.   The EMU is a monitoring system only, NOT a control system.

   5) Diagrams of Hookup WITHOUT Bridge, and Hookup With Bridge

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Hookup withOUT Bridge

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Hookup WITH THE BRIDGE looks like the below

Electric Vehicle (EV)

Hawaii Solar Tax Credits Going Away

Yes the story is true. 
How is really plays out, remains to be seen.
It appears that the "big systems" will be hurt the most.    And that is kind of funny, because the way the tax "temporary rules" are wording a big system would be anything over 10 panels.

Just about everyone needs more than 10 panels, 10 panels is around $120.     Most people are in the $250 to $400 range.

Get a system BEFORE your right to energy Independence is curtailed.

Hawaii Eliminating Solar Tax Credits

From "EarthJustice"

State Tax Proposal Would Slam the Brakes on Solar Energy, Jobs in Hawai'i

November 9, 2012

Honolulu, HI — 

Today, Governor Neil Abercrombie announced a drastic, potentially devastating cut to the Hawaiʻi's successful tax credit for solar energy. The proposal would reduce by approximately 50 percent the tax credit for homeowners and businesses that install solar energy systems. The solar industry is one of Hawaiʻi's strongest growth sectors, and the state’s proposal threatens the future of thousands of workers and jeopardizes recent progress in weaning Hawaiʻi off dirty, imported fossil fuels.

http://earthjustice.org/news/press/2012/state-tax-proposal-would-slam-the-brakes-on-solar-energy-jobs-in-hawai-i

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What does this mean to you, the homeowner?    It means that the window for energy independence is closing.   The end of the year rush was already on before this post election bombshell hit.  

If the tax credits go away, the economics of solar will be vastly changed.    And it is not just the tax credits that put you at risk, it is the amount of solar on the grid.    HECO sets the rules when it comes to the amount of solar they will "allow".     On Kauai, no one can do solar anymore.....they have "too much".

ACT NOW, if you have a proposal in hand, sign it and fax it or scan it in.    We will accommodate everyone possible, keeping in mind that panels are going to sell out.    Also, prices are likely to go up as demand outstrips supply.

IT is still POSSIBLE to get a system this year, but don't lose even a day at this point.

Call us 671-5566

Here are the real notices for the State.     This is the real deal.



This is the real "rules".    They were created without industry input, and are overly complicated and restrictive.     Doing PV in 2012 is simple.     Next year will be a nightmare, and consumers will lose out on a lot of money.

Inspection pass rate from Hawaii Energy

We are rated as 100% pass rate in last 3 months!