$2M in late solar rebate checks go out

Hawaiian Electric Co. has mailed out $2.4 million worth of late rebate checks to contractors who installed residential solar water heaters.

Company spokesman Peter Rosegg says the checks went out Friday and an additional $100,000 will be mailed Monday.

The company wrote the checks under orders from the state Public Utilities Commission after HECO fell behind.

Under the program, contractors knock $1,000 off the price of a system for homeowners and then apply to the utility for reimbursement.
PUC chairman Carl Caliboso says the panel isn't sure how the program got so far behind.

HECO says a number of circumstances led to the backlog, including a surge in installations after electricity rates spiked last year.




There is a surge in solar installations