Customer Renewable Programs

How Smart Export works

Not only do participants save by using the energy they produce, they offset their total bill by providing solar energy to the grid at a time when it’s not usually available. Read full blog post

Share

Smart Export

Program closed to new customers on March 29, 2024. Smart Export allows customers to install a private rooftop solar or other renewable system and a battery energy storage system. Customers are expected to charge the battery storage system from the rooftop solar or other renewable system during the daylight hours (9 a.m. – 4 p.m.) and use that energy to power their home in the evening.

However, customers are able to receive a credit for any energy exported to the grid during the evening, overnight and early morning hours. Energy exported to the grid during the daylight hours is not compensated. Under Smart Export, customers receive a monthly bill credit for energy delivered to the grid, which helps to offset the cost of energy pulled from the grid when the customer’s system is not producing enough energy to meet the household demand. The export credit is fixed through October 22, 2022.

Click here for information about how to read your Smart Export bill. (PDF)

Island 12 a.m. to 9 a.m. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 4 p.m. to 12 a.m.
Oahu 14.97 cents/kWh* No Credit 14.97 cents/kWh*
Maui 14.41 cents/kWh* No Credit 14.41 cents/kWh*
Lanai 20.79 cents/kWh* No Credit 20.79 cents/kWh*
Molokai 16.64 cents/kWh* No Credit 16.64 cents/kWh*
Hawaii Island 11.00 cents/kWh* No Credit 11.00 cents/kWh*

*Export credits will be trued-up on an annual basis and any remaining credits left over at the end of the year expire with the utility cost reduction benefitting customers.

The Smart Export program has a capacity limit that varies by utility.

Region Program Capacity
Oahu 38.5 MW
Maui County 16.5 MW
Hawaii Island 20 MW

The safe, reliable operation of the grid is important to everyone. The combination of utility system upgrades and leading-edge, customer-facing technology is providing new opportunities to connect more private rooftop solar systems and other renewables in less time with greater efficiency. All new private rooftop solar systems in Hawaii are now required to use advanced inverters that help maintain a stable and reliable grid. Click here for more information on how advanced inverters work and what it means for your system.

The primary difference between the Smart Export program and other programs is the smart charging and exporting feature. Participants in this program will use advanced (or smart) inverters and advanced metering technology to manage the battery charging, export windows and to maintain stable grid operations.

Click here to download our fact sheet (PDF) about the Smart Export program.