Hawaii
Hawaii solar in 2026
Hawaii has the country's most punishing electricity bill, and it makes the solar conversation look simpler than it is. At 52.00 cents per kWh, power you use in your home is expensive enough to fight for. Power you dump onto the grid is a separate, weaker proposition. New buyers are not entering net metering. The winning design is usually the one that keeps midday production behind your meter and carries it into the evening, not the one that makes the biggest production claim.
The Hawaii comparison is not rooftop solar versus cheap utility power
A paid-off rooftop system can make energy for far less than the statewide grid blend. That does not mean every panel has the same value. Hawaii's program structure rewards a household that can use its own generation, especially after the sun is high. Start with the load profile, then size the array.
| Energy source | Type | Average price | What that means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii residential grid power | Electricity | 52¢ per kWh | EIA's statewide Hawaii household-price result for May 2026. |
| Hawaii Gas residential service | Natural gas | $70.84 per Mcf | The Hawaii EIA gas series for 2026-04, approximately 23.3 cents per thermal kWh. |
| Electricity produced on an owned roof | Electricity | ~9.5¢ per kWh | A 25-year levelized output-cost calculation using the EnergySage Hawaii cash input and our PVGIS runs. It says nothing about the value Hawaiian Electric assigns to exported power. |
Our electricity comparison uses EIA Table 5.6.A for May 2026. Gas data comes from EIA natural gas prices, 2026-04; 1 Mcf is roughly 304 kWh of thermal energy. The owned-solar figure follows the calculation described on our methodology page.
Island output is not one number
Hawaii is a small state with a very real production spread. Honolulu is the high case in this set. Hilo is the low case. A generic island yield assumption can make a quote look cleaner than a roof actually is, so use the city figure as a starting point and ask the installer what shading, orientation, and export configuration do to it.
| Island location | kWh generated per kW annually | 8.8 kW system result |
|---|---|---|
| Honolulu | 1,642.8 | 14,457 kWh |
| Hilo | 1,209.6 | 10,644 kWh |
| Kahului | 1,454.5 | 12,800 kWh |
| Lihue | 1,446.7 | 12,731 kWh |
PVGIS v5.2 model runs by Solar Learning Lab on August 18, 2026, using the NSRDB radiation database. Assumptions: fixed roof mount, south facing, 30 degree tilt, 14 percent losses. Your roof will differ. PVGIS v5.2.
Hawaii solar is a self-consumption decision, not a net-metering decision
Net Energy Metering closed to new applicants on October 13, 2015. Existing participants remain under their agreements, but a new rooftop buyer is choosing among Hawaiian Electric's Smart Renewable Energy Export, Smart Renewable Energy Non-Export, and related battery programs. Customer Grid Supply customers transition to Smart Renewable Energy Export after seven years, with the earliest transitions starting October 1, 2024.
The practical move is blunt: do not let a salesperson model your system as though exported noon power offsets a full retail kWh. Ask which program the application will use, what export setting it allows, and how the battery changes the share you use at home. Battery Bonus is not a fresh enrollment option either. It closed to new participants on July 1, 2024, and documents stopped being accepted after September 30, 2025.
| Rule | Threshold or term | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| New rooftop applicants | Smart Renewable Energy Export or Non-Export | NEM is closed to new applicants |
| Legacy CGS customers | Transition after seven years | Earliest transitions began October 1, 2024 |
| Battery Bonus | Closed | Not a current sales incentive |
Policy source: Hawaiian Electric Smart Renewable Energy programs. Confirm the program, export settings, and technical review path with Hawaiian Electric before you commit.
Hawaii still has a state credit, with a short runway
| Item | Value | Fine print |
|---|---|---|
| RETITC | Up to 35% of solar PV cost | State program summary notes caps, carryforward, and in some cases a refundable election (Hawaii State Energy Office) |
| RETITC implementation detail | 35% capped at $5,000 per 5 kW system | Installer restatement says placed in service by December 31, 2026, with a $40M annual cap and income thresholds. Confirm current eligibility before signing. (Independent Energy Hawaii) |
| Battery Bonus | Closed to new participants | Closed July 1, 2024. Do not count it in a new proposal. (Hawaiian Electric) |
| Federal 25D | Ended December 31, 2025 | A lease or PPA provider may claim the federal 48E business credit and could share part of the value through its price (CRS) |
The credit is meaningful, but it is not a substitute for a usable design. Act 24 added eligibility and certification requirements plus aggregate credit limits for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2026. A proposal that treats the credit as automatic is doing too much hand waving.
Hawaii's rooftop market is big, but new projects still need an export plan
The capacity mix makes Hawaii unusual. The state had 1,383.6 MW of solar PV net summer capacity in 2024, ranking 28th of 51. Small-scale capacity was 918.1 MW, exceeding the 465.5 MW utility-scale total. That is a large rooftop presence, yet it does not restore net metering for a new customer. The EIA capacity table explains the scale. Hawaiian Electric's current program rules decide the project's operating logic.
Hawaiian Electric serves Oahu, Hawaii Island, and Maui County. It reported 474,241 customers at December 31, 2025: 310,789 on Oahu, 91,234 on Hawaii Island, and 72,218 in Maui County. The company says it serves about 95% of state residents and reported 36.8% renewable generation in 2025. Those numbers matter because the program framework, export limits, and technical review sit with the same dominant utility for most households. Its power facts page is a sensible utility reference for a proposal.
Regulatory housekeeping has moved too. The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission closed distributed-energy-resources docket 2019-0323 on August 8, 2025 by Order No. 41866. That docket governed program transitions. A buyer does not need to become a docket reader, but the closure is another reason to make the application program and export setting explicit rather than relying on an old NEM label.
The state tax-credit conversation also requires timing. RETITC can cover up to 35% of solar PV and solar thermal cost, subject to technology caps, carryforward, and in some cases a refundable election. Act 24 (2026) added eligibility and certification requirements, aggregate credit limits, and a future sunset for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2026. Confirm the current rules with the Hawaii State Energy Office before treating the credit as automatic.
The dominant-utility picture also explains why a generic mainland-style pitch misses the point. Hawaiian Electric's programs manage enrollment, export limits, and technical review for the islands it serves. A homeowner should ask how the proposed system will operate under that framework, then compare the answer with household demand. The retail price is high, but the program path is still the gatekeeper.
Run the math with a conservative export assumption
This calculator starts from Hawaii's retail rate and local production range. It cannot see the value of your particular export option or your evening load, so treat the result as a first screen. A battery may improve the value of production even when it adds upfront cost.
Slider bounds come from our PVGIS runs across four Hawaii cities. Your roof can differ because shade, orientation, and equipment choice matter.
Cash quotes in Hawaii cluster near $3.40 per watt, against a $3.50 national 2024 median (LBNL). Use your quote.
Assumptions you can change
Use the rate on your actual lease or PPA quote. There is no published statewide average we trust enough to hardcode.
Cash purchase
$7,514 after state credit
- Year 1 benefit
- $212/mo
- Payback
- 3 years
- 20 year net position
- $54,182
RETITC can reach 35 percent of cost. The installer-reported operating detail is a $5,000 cap per 5 kW system, subject to current eligibility and certification requirements.
Solar loan
$104/mo 15 yr payment
- Year 1 net
- $108/mo
- Upfront
- $0
- 20 year net position
- $42,939
We price loans at $4.60 per watt, the EnergySage cash figure plus the $1.20 national loan-over-cash spread LBNL documents.
Lease / PPA
$0 down you buy the power
- Year 1 net
- $114/mo
- Upfront
- $0
- 20 year net position
- $34,590
A provider can still claim the federal 48E business credit. That does not turn a new Hawaii system into a retail-rate net-metering arrangement.
Estimates, not quotes. Inputs use Hawaii EIA pricing, our PVGIS production runs, and EnergySage cost data. New systems need a program-specific export and storage plan. We are a solar installer and we also partner with other solar companies. See our disclosures.
Hawaii details that change the purchase
- Get the exact Hawaiian Electric program name in writing. "Net metering" is not an acceptable shorthand for a new project.
- Hilo and Honolulu are not interchangeable production assumptions. The modeled range is 1,209.6 to 1,642.8 kWh per kW per year.
- Battery Bonus is closed to new participation. Remove it from a quote that presents it as a current rebate.
- For a RETITC claim, verify the current certification and timing requirements before the system is placed in service.
Hawaii installers with a program question, not just a price
The useful screening question here is whether the company can explain the Smart Renewable Energy path and the hardware setting it proposes for your island and utility. A low price that assumes old NEM economics is not a low price. It is a bad model.
Independent Energy Hawaii
Kahului, Maui
5.0(304 Google reviews)
Sunspear Energy
Honolulu, Hawaii
4.9(121 Google reviews)
Mālama Solar
Oahu and Big Island, Hawaii
4.6(200 Google reviews)
RevoluSun
Hawaii
4.3(106 Google reviews)
Sunrun
Hawaii operations
4.2(534 Google reviews)
This Google Maps ratings snapshot was recorded in August 2026 via the DataForSEO SERP feed. Zero companies paid us and none are endorsed by us. Check the contractor licensing that applies to your project before putting money down.
Get a Hawaii solar estimate built for the program you can actually use
Begin with four questions that use the EIA and PVGIS context presented here. We are a solar installer and we also partner with other solar companies. See our disclosures for details.
What does your monthly electric bill look like?
Hawaii average is $212 per month (EIA, 2024).