Nearly half of all Maui single-family homes now have rooftop solar, per HECO

About 47% of single-family homes in Maui County have rooftop solar, according to an update this week from Hawaiian Electric.

That gives Maui the second-highest concentration of solar users in this category among Hawaiian Electric customers, behind O‘ahu (49%) and ahead of Hawai‘i Island (30%).

Hawaiian Electric reports that the share of residential customers with rooftop systems has more than doubled over the past decade. As of the end of September, 118,841 solar systems were connected to the utility’s grid across the five islands it serves.

Hawai‘i remains one of the nation’s leaders in rooftop solar on a per-capita basis

According to the US Energy Information Administration, solar power now accounts for about 22% of Hawai‘i’s total energy production. Notably, small-scale, customer-sited solar produces more than twice as much electricity as utility-scale solar, placing Hawai‘i 11th in the nation for small-scale generation.

Despite being among the highest electricity rates in the country, Hawaiian Electric reports that rates are now at their lowest levels in three years, due in part to the continued growth of renewable energy and customer-owned solar.

The ‘players’ in the solar industry consist largely of solar contractors, installers, local government planners and permitting departments. Hawaiian Electric supports the industry through its interconnection programs and technical guidance.

The utility’s latest customer-facing solar program as of April 2024 — “Smart Renewable Energy” (Smart DER) — consolidated and replaced previous rooftop solar programs. Under the program, customers with rooftop solar can export their power to the grid and receive bill credits. Non-export users generate energy for self-use only.

More information is available at hawaiianelectric.com/smartprograms.