Hawaii Solar: Export Credits That Change by Island and by Hour

Written by Dean Mahmoud, CEO, and checked by Trevor Guilday, founder.Prices from the September 2026 Cost Index. Export credits re-read October 14, 2026. Updated October 14, 2026.

A typical Hawaii home system is 7.49 kW and costs about $23,519 in cash at $3.14 per watt. On Oahu it pays for itself in about 6.4 years if the full $5,000 state tax credit reaches you, and 8.2 years if it does not. Power you use at home saves the 43.51¢ state average; power you send out earns 6.6¢ to 40.8¢, by island and hour.

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Hawaiian Electric or KIUC: what each island pays for the power you send out

New Hawaii systems get no net metering: Hawaiian Electric closed it on October 13, 2015. Power your home uses as the panels make it saves your full price. Power that leaves your home earns a credit set by your utility, and on Hawaiian Electric islands, by the hour.

Hawaiian Electric on Oahu

13.5¢ to 32.9¢ per kWh sent out

Smart Renewable Energy Export, open since April 1, 2024: 13.5¢ by day, 32.9¢ from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., 18.9¢ overnight. You need an advanced meter.

Next: ask which hours the savings estimate assumes.

Maui, Hawaii Island, Molokai, Lanai

6.6¢ to 40.8¢ per kWh sent out

Same program, but every island has its own table. Maui pays the least by day, 6.6¢. Lanai pays the most in the evening, 40.8¢.

Next: check the quote uses your island’s row, not Oahu’s.

Kauai Island Utility Cooperative

14.33¢ to 27.14¢ per kWh

Schedule Q pays KIUC’s avoided cost, which moves every month with the price of oil. That was the range from January to September 2026.

Next: ask KIUC for this month’s rate in writing.

Hawaiian Electric credit per kWh sent out, agreements signed April 2024 to April 2027
IslandDaytime, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.Evening, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.Overnight, 9 p.m. to 9 a.m.
Oahu13.5¢32.9¢18.9¢
Hawaii Island10.6¢23.1¢14.8¢
Maui6.6¢18.2¢13.1¢
Molokai17.9¢27.2¢17.4¢
Lanai26.7¢40.8¢25.9¢

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

How Hawaiian Electric settles these credits
  • Locked for 7 years. The rates in your agreement stay fixed for the first 7 years. The lock comes with every new agreement; you do not have to choose it.
  • Updated every 3 years. Today’s table covers agreements signed through April 2027. Later agreements get the next table.
  • Not cash. Credits come off your bill, are trued up once a year, and credits left at the end of the year expire. They cannot take your bill below the minimum charge.
  • Older programs are closed. Net metering, Customer Grid-Supply and Smart Export no longer take new homes.
On Kauai: KIUC’s size limit

KIUC sets a “right size” for each home. For a home that uses up to 500 kWh a month, it is 2.5 kW or less. A larger system needs a separate meter that lets KIUC switch your panels off when the island has more solar power than it can use. KIUC says the Schedule Q price should fall as it burns less oil, so do not plan on this year’s rate for the life of the system.

Two Oahu paybacks: with and without Hawaii’s $5,000 tax credit

Same 7.49 kW system, same Oahu daytime credit of 13.5¢, no battery. The only difference is whether the state credit reaches you, which Act 24 no longer promises.

Typical 7.49 kW system on Oahu, $23,519 cash
CaseYour costYearly savings after upkeepSimple payback
The $5,000 state credit reaches you$18,519$2,8766.4 years
No state credit$23,519$2,8768.2 years

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

Both cases count every export at 13.5¢. A battery that holds a midday kWh until 5 p.m. earns 19.4¢ more on Oahu (32.9¢ minus 13.5¢), and about 30¢ more if your home uses it instead. Price the battery as its own line, with its own payback.

How we calculated this
  • Output: 7.49 kW × 1,623 kWh per kW = 12,156 kWh a year.
  • Savings: 4,862 kWh used at home as it is made × 43.51¢, plus 7,294 kWh sent out by day × 13.5¢ = $3,100 a year. The 40% home-use share is our planning assumption, not a measured Hawaii average.
  • Upkeep: $30 per kW a year, $224.70, including an inverter reserve. Savings after upkeep: $2,875.57.
  • Payback: ($23,519 minus $5,000) ÷ $2,875.57 = 6.4 years. $23,519 ÷ $2,875.57 = 8.2 years. No financing, rate changes or panel aging.
  • 43.51¢ is the EIA state average for the 12 months to July 2026. It includes fixed charges, so it can run high.
  • Not modeled: the $3,500 refundable version of the credit, Maui (6.6¢ by day), Hawaii Island (10.6¢), Kauai, or any battery.

Run your own Hawaii numbers

Act 24 rewrote Hawaii’s 35% solar tax credit: the four new limits

The credit is still 35% of the system cost, up to $5,000 for a single-family home. On the typical system 35% is $8,231.65, so the $5,000 cap applies; the cap is reached at a cost of about $14,286. Act 24, signed May 21, 2026, made that $5,000 less certain.

CertificateEnergy Office first

Before March 1 of the year after your system is switched on, you send a signed statement to the Hawaii State Energy Office. It tells you by May 31 how much you may claim.

$40 millionStatewide yearly limit

From 2027. If certified claims add up to more, every credit shrinks in proportion to its cost.

$175,000Income limit

From tax year 2027, or $350,000 on a joint return. Above it the credit is zero, with no partial credit.

2029Last tax year

The credit does not apply to tax years beginning after December 31, 2029.

A system switched on in 2026, and the claim itself
  • The law reaches back to systems switched on in 2026. The Governor’s Executive Order 26-02 keeps the limit off a 2026 system only if it was finished before May 21, 2026, or if the owner can show money or work went into it before that date.
  • The Energy Office had not posted filing instructions when we checked on September 30, 2026. Confirm the steps with the office or a tax professional.
  • You claim the credit on Form N-342 with your Hawaii return, within 12 months after the tax year ends.
  • If the credit is bigger than your tax bill, the rest carries forward. Or you can take a credit 30% smaller and get the unused part refunded: $3,500 instead of $5,000 on the typical system. You cannot undo that choice.
  • A battery counts toward the cost if it goes on the same property in the same tax year as the panels. A utility payment, such as BYOD Plus, comes off the cost before the 35% is worked out.
  • The federal credit ended for systems you own placed in service after December 31, 2025. It is in none of our numbers.

Hawaii incentives guide

BYOD Plus: Hawaiian Electric pays $400 per kW for a shared home battery

The one cash payment in Hawaii that goes to hardware. It pays for a new battery paired with solar, not for the panels, and only on Hawaiian Electric islands.

How it pays $400 per kW

  1. You pick a 2-hour window. Every day in it, the battery serves your home first and sends the rest to the grid.
  2. Hawaiian Electric pays $400 for each kW you commit, once, with no maximum: $2,000 for 5 kW.
  3. You also get a monthly bill credit for what the battery sends out. Hawaiian Electric’s own example for 5 kW is about $52 a month, which it calls approximate.

Lower-income homes $800 per kW

  1. Households with gross income under 140% of area median income get another $400 per kW: $4,000 for 5 kW.
  2. Hawaiian Electric must confirm your self-certification form before the install.
  3. The payment goes to the battery’s owner. With a lease, that is the leasing company.

Leave early and you repay part of the upfront payment. Hawaiian Electric’s page gives the term as 5 years in one place and a 10-year commitment in another, so get it in writing. The older Battery Bonus program closed on December 31, 2023 on Oahu and June 30, 2024 on Maui. We found no KIUC battery payment on Kauai.

A 7.49 kW Hawaii system at $3.14 per watt, before and after the state credit

The September 2026 benchmark is $0.25 above the US average, tied 45th lowest of 51. These are modeled cash prices, not quotes we collected.

Cash price, output and the 35% credit by system size
Size (kW DC)Power made a yearCash priceState credit, if paid in fullAfter the credit
4 kW6,492 kWh$12,560$4,396$8,164
6 kW9,738 kWh$18,840$5,000$13,840
7.49 kW (typical)12,156 kWh$23,519$5,000$18,519
10 kW16,230 kWh$31,400$5,000$26,400

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

How we got these numbers
  • 7.49 kW is the median size Hawaii homeowners installed in 2025 (Berkeley Lab, 316 systems). Size yours to the power you use.
  • Output uses the Cost Index figure of 1,623 kWh per kW a year. Shade lowers it.
  • The credit is 35% of the cost, up to $5,000, so it stops growing at a cost of about $14,286. Act 24’s limits can make it smaller.
  • A system you own gets no federal tax credit after December 31, 2025.

Full Hawaii price guide

Hawaii help beyond the tax credit: GEM$, Shared Solar and Honolulu property tax

5.5%GEM$ On-Bill loan

A state loan at a fixed rate for up to 25 years, repaid on your electric bill. Hawaiian Electric customers with income under 140% of area median.

Not assessedHonolulu property tax

The City and County of Honolulu leaves solar devices out of your taxable value. On other islands, ask your county.

15¢ to 16.5¢Shared Solar credit

For renters and condos: per kWh of a project share. 15¢ on Oahu and Hawaii Island, 16.5¢ on Maui. Not on Kauai.

On holdHawaii Solar for All

The state agency said on December 8, 2025 that the federal money is tied up in court. Nothing to apply for.

Ways to pay for solar in Hawaii
Way to payWho owns the panelsWhat to check in Hawaii
CashYouKeep the cost papers: you need them for the Energy Office statement and Form N-342
LoanYouCash and financed totals side by side; a dealer fee can eat the credit
GEM$ On-BillYou5.5% for up to 25 years; at least 6 months with the utility
Lease or PPAThe companyThe company gets the BYOD Plus payment; ask in writing who claims the tax credit

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

When the money is smaller than a Hawaii quote says
  • The full $5,000 is shown as certain. The $40 million yearly limit can shrink every credit.
  • Your income is above the line and the system goes on in 2027 or later. The credit is zero.
  • You miss the March 1 Energy Office statement or the 12-month claim window. The credit is lost.
  • You were told you can join net metering. It closed to new homes in 2015.
  • The quote still subtracts the federal credit. Ask for a new quote.

What $0-down solar means in Hawaii

Hawaii installers based on Oahu and Maui, A to Z

Three companies on our Hawaii list, A to Z, not ranked. Facts from their own sites and the Hawaii DCCA license registry, read October 13 and 14, 2026.

Alternate Energy Hawaii

Office
Pearl City, Oahu
Hawaii license
Contractor CT-26041 (published as C-26041), active October 13, 2026
Warranty
10-year workmanship on solar; no roof-leak term published
More facts
Founded
1993 (company says)
Islands
Oahu
Ways to pay
Cash; Hawaii State FCU or Sungage loans; no lease or PPA
Alternate Energy Hawaii profile

Haleakala Solar

Office
Kahului, Maui
Hawaii license
Not published; ask for it
Warranty
No terms published; it mentions a 25-year warranty without saying what it covers
More facts
Since
1977, over 14,000 systems (company says)
Islands
Maui and Oahu
Ways to pay
“Long-term financing” and a PPA mentioned, no terms
Note
Its terms page describes a network of independent installers; ask who does your install
Haleakala Solar profile

RevoluSun

Office
Honolulu, Oahu
Hawaii license
Contractor CT-30244, active October 13, 2026
Warranty
No workmanship term for a system you buy; 25-year guarantee on its Smart Power PPA
More facts
Since
2009 (company says)
Islands
Oahu on its current pages
Ways to pay
Cash, three lenders, GEM$ on-bill, Smart Power PPA
Battery
Standard on every system (company says)
RevoluSun profile

The order is alphabetical. When you request quotes through EcoGen America, the providers who contact you pay us for the introduction; that does not change these facts or this order. How we make money.

Compare Hawaii solar companies in detail

What a Hawaii solar quote should name: your island, the hours and the credit

  • Your island’s export tableHawaiian Electric’s row for your island, or KIUC’s Schedule Q, and which hours the estimate counts.
  • Your home-use shareHow much solar power you are expected to use as it is made, built from your own bills.
  • Panels and battery as two pricesEach with its own payback, and the kW committed to BYOD Plus.
  • State credit math35% capped at $5,000, the Act 24 limits named, and no 30% federal credit.
  • Cash and financed pricesBoth totals side by side, with any dealer fee shown.
  • A Hawaii contractor licenseThe number, which you can look up in the DCCA professional license search.

Comparing quotes on your island?

Ask each installer which island rates and which hours sit behind its savings estimate.

See what solar pays on your island

EcoGen America does not sell or install solar. When you request quotes, we pass your request to solar providers serving your area, and they pay us for the introduction. Providers can include installers, solar marketplaces and lead exchanges, and more than one may contact you. You never pay us. This is not an application for Hawaii’s tax credit or the battery payment. Privacy policy

Hawaii Solar FAQs

Does Hawaii still have net metering?

Not for new systems. Hawaiian Electric closed net metering on October 13, 2015. Systems connected since April 1, 2024 join Smart Renewable Energy Export, which pays a credit that changes by island and by time of day. On Kauai, KIUC pays its monthly Schedule Q rate.

Is the Hawaii solar tax credit still 35%?

Yes, 35% of the cost, up to $5,000 for a single-family home. Act 24, signed May 21, 2026, added an Energy Office certificate, a $40 million yearly statewide limit from 2027, an income limit from tax year 2027 and an end after tax year 2029. You claim it on Form N-342.

Do I have to sign up for the 7-year rate lock?

No. Hawaiian Electric locks export rates for the first 7 years of every new agreement automatically. Today’s rates apply to agreements signed through April 2027.

Should I add a battery in Hawaii?

Our two paybacks are for panels only. On Hawaiian Electric islands a battery can earn $400 per kW through BYOD Plus, and on Oahu an evening export earns 32.9¢ against 13.5¢ by day. Ask for the battery as its own price with its own payback.

Will solar raise my property tax in Honolulu?

No. The City and County of Honolulu does not count solar devices in your property’s taxable value, and there is nothing to file. Its form does not mention batteries. On other islands, ask your county real property tax office.

Act 24, Hawaiian Electric and KIUC: the records behind this Hawaii guide

Sources (20 documents, each with the date we read it)
  1. EcoGen Solar Cost Index, September 2026: Hawaii$3.14 per watt, 7.49 kW median size (Berkeley Lab 2025, 316 systems), 1,623 kWh per kW, 43.51¢ statewide average (EIA).
  2. Hawaiian Electric: Smart Renewable Energy ExportExport credits by island and hour, 7-year lock, updates every 3 years, advanced meter, yearly true-up. Re-read October 14, 2026.
  3. Hawaiian Electric: Net Energy Metering (closed)Closed to new applicants October 13, 2015. Read September 30, 2026.
  4. Hawaiian Electric: Previous renewable programsClosed programs and Battery Bonus closing dates. Read September 30, 2026.
  5. Hawaiian Electric: Bring Your Own Device Plus$400 per kW, $400 adder under 140% of area median income, 2-hour window, about $52 a month for 5 kW, 5-year and 10-year terms. Read October 1, 2026.
  6. Hawaiian Electric: Shared Solar15¢ and 16.5¢ per kWh for small projects. Read September 30, 2026.
  7. Kauai Island Utility Cooperative: Rooftop solarRight-size limit of 2.5 kW for homes using up to 500 kWh a month; curtailment meter. Read September 30, 2026.
  8. Kauai Island Utility Cooperative: 2026 rate data sheetsSchedule Q from 14.33¢ (March) to 27.14¢ (June), January to September 2026. Read October 1, 2026.
  9. Hawaii Legislature: Act 24 (S.B. 3125), signed text35%, $5,000 cap, certificate, $40 million yearly limit, income limits, end after tax year 2029, 30% smaller refundable option, 12-month claim window. Read September 30 and October 1, 2026.
  10. Governor of Hawaii: Executive Order 26-02Act 24 signed May 21, 2026; the test for 2026 systems. Read September 30, 2026.
  11. Hawaii State Energy Office: renewable energy tax creditNo filing instructions posted when read September 30, 2026.
  12. Hawaii Department of Taxation: renewable energy creditForm N-342. Read September 30, 2026.
  13. City and County of Honolulu: renewable energy claim form (revised January 26, 2026)Solar devices left out of taxable value. Read September 30, 2026.
  14. Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority: GEM$ On-Bill Program5.5% fixed, up to 25 years, income under 140% of area median, 6 months with the utility. Read September 30, 2026.
  15. Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority: news release of December 8, 2025Solar for All funds tied up in court. Read September 30, 2026.
  16. Hawaii DCCA professional licensing: CT-30244 and CT-26041RevoluSun and Alternate Energy Hawaii contractor licenses active, expiring September 30, 2028. Checked October 13, 2026.
  17. IRS: Residential Clean Energy CreditNo credit for property placed in service after December 31, 2025. Read September 30, 2026.
  18. U.S. EIA: average residential price by state43.51¢, 12 months August 2025 to July 2026, as used in the Cost Index.
  19. 2025 Annual Technology Baseline: residential PVOwner costs of $29.83 per kW a year, rounded to $30 for upkeep.
  20. Berkeley Lab: solar self-consumption research (2022)Informs the 40% home-use planning default. It is not a measured Hawaii average.
Dean Mahmoud
Written by

Dean Mahmoud

CEO of EcoGen America. Since 2021 he has connected homeowners with residential solar installers in all 50 states.

About Dean
Trevor Guilday
Checked by

Trevor Guilday

Founder of EcoGen America. He has worked in residential solar since 2016 and maintains the EcoGen Solar Cost Index.

About Trevor

Editorial standardsCost Index methodologyVerified Installer methodology