Swell Energy Launches Home Battery Rewards for Hawaiian Electric Customers

Swell Energy Inc. is enrolling 6,000 O‘ahu, Hawai‘i Island and Maui solar and energy storage customers in its Home Battery Rewards program with Hawaiian Electric, offering significant incentives for existing and new energy storage systems powered by rooftop solar.   

Incentive payments are based on system characteristics and the fixed monthly payment will apply to the customer’s monthly electric bill. If the incentive exceeds a customer’s minimum bill, participants will receive a check from Hawaiian Electric each month. For example, customers with between 1 – 3 Tesla Powerwalls can earn between $1,500 and $11,700 over the life of the five-year program. There is no limit to the number of batteries a customer can enroll. 

The program, approved by the Public Utilities Commission, will provide a total of 80 megawatts (MW) of grid services supplied from storage among all participants, which is equivalent to approximately 4,000 residential systems on O‘ahu, 1,500 systems on Hawai‘i Island and 500 systems on Maui. Enrollment is on a first-come basis on each island and customers start receiving value from the program soon after they enroll.  

“Existing and new solar-plus-storage customers can now get more value from their home energy system with advanced grid service programs like Home Battery Rewards,” said Yoh Kawanami, Director-Customer Energy Resources Operations at Hawaiian Electric. “We are at a turning point in Hawai‘i for advancing the capabilities of all residential solar and batteries already deployed and being installed in the future. By harnessing the collective power in our homes, we enable a more affordable and resilient Hawai‘i that also helps us meet our 100 percent renewable energy goals by 2045 or sooner,” he said.   

In conjunction with homeowners in the Home Battery Rewards program, Swell Energy aggregates participating batteries to perform grid services such as: 

• storing excess renewable energy for later use;
• dispatching stored energy when the grid needs it most; and
• providing frequency response measures to mitigate potential imbalances on the grid.

In the event of a power outage, home batteries enrolled in the program only provide electricity to the customer’s home and the homeowner is in full control of their solar energy and battery. By offering clean, dispatchable and distributed energy resources, Hawaiian Electric expects the Home Battery Rewards program to help the state of Hawai‘i reach its renewable energy goals and is encouraging customers to apply today. 

“Swell’s Home Battery Rewards program with Hawaiian Electric unlocks the potential for home batteries to bolster the local grid in Hawai‘i and bring even more renewable energy onto the islands. The program is available to a broad set of residential customers, including those who already have an eligible battery system, as well as those seeking to install a new system,” said Suleman Khan, CEO of Swell Energy. “Swell is launching the first phase of this program in partnership with RevoluSun on O‘ahu and Rising Sun Solar on Maui and Hawai‘i Island. We look forward to expanding our local network of Home Battery Rewards partners soon in an effort to make this program accessible to as many homes in Hawai‘i as possible.”   

Customers can opt out of the Home Battery Rewards program at any time. There is no penalty and customers will not be required to repay any funds received while in the program.  

To sign up, visit: https://swellenergy.com/hi/