Tropical’s Commitment to Green

Tropical Wholesale and its owner Matthew Houar with brother Michael, son Michael and nephew Matthew have been doing business in Hawaii for more than 30 years. Tropical has been the Sam’s Club contractor for more than 10 years. Tropical always has been a green company representing lifetime products. Tropical has been doing photovoltaic for almost five years now with all its other products.

Tropical’s photovoltaic or electric solar started more than five years ago after the HBO special about how bad WalMart and Sam’s Clubs (Sam’s Club is owned by WalMart and is named after Sam Walton, the founder of WalMart) were for the environment. At the time, WalMart decided all products would now be green. WalMart did all the research and development and used four of the oldest dealers in the U.S. to test the product — of which Tropical Wholesale in Hawaii was one. These dealers were picked because they all are located in sunny climates. All contractors went to training and surprisingly what was learned was to be as green as you can before installing panels on rooftops.

Here’s how you too can be green:

1. Change all lights to CFLs, LEDs and florescent lights. Change all old appliances, meaning anything over six years old. This includes refrigerators, freezers, stoves, microwaves, Plasma TVs and washers and dryers.

Install a solar water heater; if you have one already make sure it’s working properly or tune it up if necessary.

2. Change windows and doors, especially if you have A/C units. After all this, wait to see the changes in your electric bill. Hopefully, you as a consumer also will be more proactive using less electricity. Now you as a homeowner are ready to look at electric solar. Because electric solar is the most expensive way to save on electricity.

Most other solar companies will not tell you to do this. This is because mostly you as a homeowner will see salesmen. Their job is to sell customers as many panels as possible to make the commissions. A perfect and recent example was an old customer who called the company. Tropical Wholesale had worked on his home 16 years before, and the homeowner wanted help before his electric solar system was installed. Plus he wanted the tax credits. He was very proud to be going green.

Tropical Wholesale asked the owner four questions and received the following answers:

1) How much is your electric bill? Answer: $300.

2) Have you taken steps to lower you bill? Answer: No.

3) How much did it cost? Answer: $68,000.

4) How many panels? Answer: 28.

The company was shocked. In short, the owner had been ripped off. This is going on every day in Hawaii. Just because we have the best tax credits in the U.S. (30 percent federal and 35 percent state to $5,000 for residential) every salesmen this side of the world has come to Hawaii to sell solar. And soon in 2015 when all the tax credits are gone, so are the salesmen. All these salesmen come with the fancy computers giving readouts on what the electric solar systems will produce, but what they do not tell you is all those programs are set for mainland production expectations or 4 and 1/2 hours a day production. Now who in Hawaii gets only 4 and 1/2 hours of sun a day? So this computes to selling consumers more panels and making salesmen more commission.

So be green and akamai when searching for the right company. Call Tropical Wholesale today at 263-1252 or 292-2942.