Residential Rooftop Solar Installations Up 5%

Installation of residential rooftop solar systems used by Hawaiian Electric, Maui Electric and Hawaiʿi Electric Light customers increased by 5.3% in 2018 from 2017.  Company executives say the performance continues to secure Hawai‘i’s leadership as the No. 1 state for private rooftop solar.

Year-end figures show that 18% of residential customers in the Hawaiian Electric Companies’ five-island service territory are using rooftop solar, up from 17% in 2017.

Nearly 4,000 new systems came online in 2018, supporting the companies’ drive to reach the state’s next milestone of 30% renewable energy by 2020.

Hawai‘i’s percentage is more than double that of Connecticut, which is second at 6.8%; California is third at 5.9%; Arizona, fourth at 4.5%; and Utah and Massachusetts are both at 3.4%, according to the Smart Electric Power Alliance.

“We are extremely proud of the progress we’ve made as a company and as a state to build steady growth in residential rooftop solar,” said Jim Alberts, Hawaiian Electric senior vice president of customer service. “Rooftop solar is a critical piece of the renewable mix that will move the state toward a 100 percent clean energy future, and we’re excited to see the numbers increase year after year.”

Residential rooftop solar systems installed across the Hawaiian Electric Companies’ service territory rose to 74,331 in 2018 from 70,607 in 2017, a 5.3% jump. All islands saw an increase.

On Oʻahu, 1 out of 3 single-family homes now have rooftop solar.

As a renewable energy resource, there are now 418 megawatts of residential rooftop solar online, including 289 on Oʻahu, 66 in Maui County and 63 on Hawaiʿi Island.

In the 10 years since the state created the Hawaiʿi Clean Energy Initiative, the companies have reduced fossil fuel use by 26%, importing about 48 million fewer gallons of oil annually to generate electricity.