Government is certainly not our friend
Thank you for the expose about the high cost of construction on Big Island published May 17.
It is interesting when government is confronted by another government sponsored entity, (UH Manoa, School of Economics), county paper pushers run for cover. Early in the article, county bureaucrats dismissed the UH study as inaccurate or not credible. Who is one to believe, county bureaucrats or the bottom line from one’s construction invoice? There is cause and effect. The more government interference, the higher the cost of doing business, as stated in the UH research. To add insult to injury, the county while claiming to be “green” has now effectively doubled the cost of solar PV panels on Big Island.
In 2018, I installed an “off-grid” PV system to escape the tyranny of HECO. As my energy use increased, I inquired about adding 12 more solar panels. The quote from the original installer was about $10,500 for 12 LG more panels. Days later, I was told the county has added new panel regulations, “rapid shut down devices,” that will add $11,000 more to the original quote or about $22,000 total. The installer, a certified solar specialist, stated when panels are properly installed, the new devices are unnecessary.
A call to a county staffer at planning said the new rules were not the county’s doing but those of an NGO, National Fire Protection Association. The county follows blindly anything NFPA dictates. This staffer sounded almost giddy in his response since the county could escape any blame for another ridiculous rule. Not our fault, he said in so many words. Never mind that hence forth, Big Islander wishing to take into consideration, “global climate change” will now pay double for their concern.
By the way, energy.gov on their “Solar Energy Technologies Office” web page wrote: “The National Electrical Codes has established safety standards to address these concerns, (panel fires), and again, fires caused by PV rooftop systems are very uncommon.” Rooftop panels if properly installed, are 99.99% safe. The NFPA recommendations should be just that, guidelines, not cost prohibitive regulation. How many fires have there been on Big Island which originated from rooftop PV panels?
Government may not be the enemy … yet. But government is certainly not our friend.
Arthur Warren
Kohala
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Thou shalt not recycle on the sabbath day?
I was at the North Kohala Transfer Station earlier today (Sunday, May 22) to dump some trash and metal. As I was taking the metal to the recycle bin the attendant stopped me and said the recycle bin is closed on Sunday, you can only dump Monday thru Saturday. I showed him the metal that was clean and free of rust and said “that makes no sense, it’s open Saturday thru Friday but closed on Sunday. So should I just dump this in the trash bin?” He said “yeah, if you want to.”
Now I wasn’t about to take it back home so in the trash bin it went. I have no beef with the attendant cause he’s only doing his job but this rule makes no sense at all. There are attendants at the transfer station off and on seven days a week so what makes Sundays exclusion days? What the reason waste management rule makers? Must be the 11th Commandment “thou shalt not recycle on the sabbath day.”
Joseph Maria
Kapaau
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A joy to see keiki artwork
Regarding the Ads Designed By Keiki in West Hawaii Today’s Sunday, May 22, edition: What a joy seeing our keiki artwork! Such talent! Mahalo Plenty for publishing.
C F Steffen
Captain Cook
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