Nearly 3,500 rooftop solar systems added to Hawaiian Electric grids during the first half of 2026

Nearly 3,500 rooftop solar systems added to Hawaiian Electric grids during the first half of 2026

50% of Oahu customers in single-family homes have rooftop solar

Release Date: 8/11/2026

Download PDF

HONOLULU, Aug. 11, 2026 - Hawaiian Electric customers continued to add rooftop solar systems at a solid pace through the first six months of 2026 despite the loss of the residential federal clean energy tax credit at the start of the year.

Customers added 3,429 grid-connected solar systems from January through June totaling 36 megawatts of generating capacity. Oahu saw the largest increase with the addition of 2,505 systems, followed by Hawaii Island with 490 systems and Maui County with 434 systems. In addition to the solar systems, customers added 55 megawatts of battery storage systems during the six-month period.

Since launching its first solar program for customers more than 25 years ago, Hawaiian Electric has become a national leader in addressing the technical challenges of integrating high levels of intermittent solar energy into its grids. The company has strived to develop customer-friendly renewable energy programs, working closely with the solar industry and other stakeholders under the oversight of the Public Utilities Commission.

As a result, Hawaiian Electric has among the highest rates of rooftop solar adoption in the nation. Some 27% of the company's residential customers and 45% of its customers in single-family homes have rooftop solar. The highest solar penetration is on Oahu, where 50% of customers in single family homes have rooftop solar.

Even with the early termination of the residential federal clean energy tax credit as of Jan. 1, 2026, Hawaiian Electric's customer energy resources programs continue to provide value to customers. Programs such as Smart Renewable Energy Export and various grid-services offerings allow customers to earn bill credits or receive value from distributed energy resources. More information is available at Smart Renewable Energy Programs.