Tankless on demand (Hilo: month-to-month, new home, buying)

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by terracore

If HELLCO power goes out, do you still have electricity?

Since you decided to use profanity for the electric company name - how often is the power out on the BI? It’s not a problem on Oahu nor have I heard it’s an issue on Kauai or Maui.

[hotzcatz]

Originally Posted by whtviper1

I’ll bite. Why not a conventional water heater with solar. It’s not expensive.

Originally Posted by Amadrid

Well I’m on the grid so connecting solar is fairly expensive. I was given an $11,000 quote by solar works and the ROI doesn’t make sense at that cost.

Ah, I'm guessing the quote you got from SolarWorks was for a solar photovoltaic system, aka a "PV" system - one that makes electricity from solar?



A solar water heating system should be about half that cost and the water heater - if it's electric - will be one of the major contributors to your electric bill. So the solar water heater will lower your electric bill because the water heater isn't being used as much.



AND if that quote was for a photovoltaic system big enough to run your house, that's dang cheap!

[hotzcatz]

Originally Posted by whtviper1

Since you decided to use profanity for the electric company name - how often is the power out on the BI? It’s not a problem on Oahu nor have I heard it’s an issue on Kauai or Maui.

The power was out over Kona side for about three hours after a big earthquake yesterday, but it doesn't go out very often.


If you want to feel good about HECO or HELCO (subsiderary of HECO) buy stock in their company. It trades as "HE". They pay great dividends (approx. 4%) and have been doing it consistently for decades. Try and get your bank to provide that much. If you invest enough, they will pay you more than what you pay them.

[terracore]

Originally Posted by whtviper1

Since you decided to use profanity for the electric company name - how often is the power out on the BI? It’s not a problem on Oahu nor have I heard it’s an issue on Kauai or Maui.

After Iselle they told us our power would be out for 4-6 weeks. People went berserk and they flew crews in from the mainland and shortened it to 5 days. Some people did have no power for 4-6 weeks, however they were the minority. We have several power outages each year but that's not how they earned their "profane" moniker, they earn that by running a monopoly that prides itself on waste to benefit the shareholders. Their strategy is that they want to become just a billing company. Contract with various companies to produce the power, maintain the lines, trim the trees, essentially become a "utility" that provides no actual service itself and only exists to skim profits.

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by terracore

We have several power outages each year but that's not how they earned their "profane" moniker, they earn that by running a monopoly that prides itself on waste to benefit the shareholders. Their strategy is that they want to become just a billing company. Contract with various companies to produce the power, maintain the lines, trim the trees, essentially become a "utility" that provides no actual service itself and only exists to skim profits.

Consumers have a choice, they can get solar and batteries and generators.

Regardless, the description above, how is that any different from any other mainland electric company?

[terracore]

"Regardless, the description above, how is that any different from any other mainland electric company?"


Our rates are four times higher.


"Consumers have a choice, they can get solar and batteries and generators."


Poor consumers don't have that choice. The people who can afford high electric rates the least are the ones who are most unable to escape them.

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by terracore

Our rates are four times higher.


"Consumers have a choice, they can get solar and batteries and generators."


Poor consumers don't have that choice. The people who can afford high electric rates the least are the ones who are most unable to escape them.

Rates are higher in Hawaii because we have to import oil - oil goes up, electric goes up. It isn't like we are going to get electricity by coal. It is expensive to rely on oil burning electric plants. And with gas going up, your electric bills are going to start going up again.

I definitely don't agree that poor consumers don't have a choice. I'd agree that consumers with poor credit AND are poor don't have a choice specific to solar - there are so many loan programs out there for solar that have a low bar to qualify with low monthly payments often less than your monthly electric bill. And poor consumers aren't helping themselves without energy star appliances or just plain being poor - get a different job or an additional job.

[terracore]

Maybe some day three ghosts will visit you in the night and demonstrate how some people have circumstances beyond their ability to control them that persist through their entire lives.

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by terracore

Maybe some day three ghosts will visit you in the night and demonstrate how some people have circumstances beyond their ability to control them that persist through their entire lives.

Perhaps some ghosts will visit you in the night on how people who had the ability to have a fruitful life and could contribute to society just plain wasted their opportunities - they did not excel in school - or couldn't be bothered to learn a trade - or decided to procreate on a constant basis to the point it was impossible to afford all those kiddos. All those folks living in shacks in Puna only have to look in the mirror for why they are in that situation living off of government assistance (more than 50%). This attitude of people are poor because they couldn't help themselves is just plain enablement.

And if they can't handle an electric bill - they should - move.

[Pyramidsurf]

Originally Posted by Amadrid

Well I’m on the grid so connecting solar is fairly expensive. I was given an $11,000 quote by solar works and the ROI doesn’t make sense at that cost.

Are you talking solar PV system or solar hot water heater? There is no way a solar water heater cost 11K.

The house I purchased has a solar hot water heater system and its great. I actually don't even need to turn on my hot water heater unless there is multiple days of overcast. I leave the system off and let the tank hold the hot water. I can't see why anyone would want to go with a tankless system in Hawaii. My electric bill on Oahu is down to about $120 per month.