Hawaii has some of the highest electricity costs in the United States, with people paying an average of 3.5 times as much for electricity as those on the mainland. This is because pretty much all fuel has to be shipped to the island. One way to get around this problem is to use more renewable energy sources, which is what the state is working toward. They hope to use all renewable sources of energy by 2045. These high energy costs are why Solar Power in Maui is so popular, with more than 12 percent of homes having solar energy systems.
History
Around 2013, the energy companies in Hawaii were having trouble dealing with the fluctuations in power created by so many people choosing to use solar power while hooked up to the grid. They temporarily suspended authorization for customers to add solar power. However, eventually, they were forced to make the necessary changes to their systems and start allowing installation of solar power systems again. As of 2017, Tesla has been working with Hawaiian utility companies to create powerpack stations to store energy produced by solar panels to be used at night, bringing the state one step closer to getting free of their dependency on imported fuels.
Potential Benefits
Although the startup costs are similar when setting up Solar Power in Maui and on the mainland, these costs will be recouped much faster because there’s so much harvestable energy from the sun and electricity costs are so high in comparison to the rest of the U.S. There are a number of state and national grants and tax credits that can make it even more financially advantageous to switch to solar power. Using solar power is beneficial to the environment as well, as it doesn’t produce emissions that contribute to global warming.
An Option
For those who truly want to save on electricity, purchasing batteries to store extra solar power for use during the times when it isn’t sunny, such as the nighttime, can be a good idea. This means you can totally separate yourself from the utility companies and their high fees, though it does greatly increase the solar start-up costs.
They sell and install both solar water heaters and electric systems. You can also visit them on Facebook.
