Using the sun’s energy for power could soon become commonplace for new homeowners in Hawaii. According to a recent article in the Honolulu Advertiser, the island is on its way to becoming the first state in the U.S. to require that all new single-family homes come equipped with energy-saving solar water heaters beginning in 2010.

With the price of oil at more than $100/barrel, using the sun as a power source is also a powerful financial alternative: estimates report that electricity costs for an average new home could be cut by up to 35 percent, simply by using a solar water heater. Hawaii currently offers a solar energy tax credit for homes built before 2010; there’s also a federal tax credit available.

In related news, a Roper survey found that nearly 90 percent of Americans think that solar electricity should be an option for all new home construction, with three-fourths of respondents saying that solar power is “more important than ever.”