I Meet The Goal Of 50,000 New Rooftop Solar Systems By 2030?

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To accelerate Hawaiʻi's transition to renewable energy, Gov. Josh Green set a new goal for rooftop solar in an executive order last week: 50,000 new installations by 2030.

Rooftop solar is already an important part of Hawaiʻi's energy mix. Hawaiian Electric is getting nearly half of its renewable energy from rooftop solar systems, and Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative is getting about a third.

But Rocky Mould, executive director of the Hawaiʻi Solar Energy Association, said that in order to meet Green's new target, the state needs to pick up the pace on installation.

New solar systems jumped to almost 6,500 in 2023, a twofold increase that Mould attributes to the popularity of the Battery Bonus Program.

That program was meant to incentivize customers to put in solar and storage to help provide energy to the grid after the closure of the AES coal plant on Oʻahu. Participants could receive $4,250 upfront, as well as monthly bill credits.

Last year, Hawaiian Electric replaced its temporary Battery Bonus Program with a new Bring Your Own Device Program. Many in the solar industry pushed back against the change , claiming its incentives were less enticing.

On Dec. 31, the Public Utilities Commission initiated a proceeding to discuss possible modifications to the BYOD program, which the commission noted was "unpopular and not adding significant resources to the electric system."

Mould said that while the Hawaiʻi Solar Energy Association has had its "critiques" of the transition from Battery Bonus to BYOD, he is encouraged by current conversations on how to make compensation schemes work better for customer-providers.

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