State now requires solar water heaters in new homes

On Jan. 1, Hawaii became the first state to require solar water heaters in new homes. Legislation signed by Gov. Linda Lingle in 2008 mandates the energy-saving systems be installed in homes starting this year.

Environmentalist Jeff Mikulina, executive director of the nonprofit Blue Planet Foundation, said the policy would define Hawaii's clean-energy future. The law will bring the benefit of free sunshine to new homeowners across the islands, he said.

The new law prohibits issuing building permits for single-family homes that do not have solar water heaters. Some exceptions are allowed, such as forested areas with little sunshine. Hawaii relies on imported fossil fuels more than any other state, with about 90 percent of its energy sources coming from foreign countries.