Customer Renewable Programs
Smart Renewable Energy Export
Add solar or other renewable technology to your home and export to the grid for bill credits
The Smart Renewable Energy Export program lets rooftop solar customers reduce their monthly electric bill by providing credit for electricity received by the utility from the customer’s renewable energy system. The program allows for all renewable technologies and has no project size limits.
Quick Facts
- Export Rates will be updated every 3 years.
- All renewable technologies are allowed under this program.
- There is no capacity limit for this program, and projects can be of any size. System size limit will be governed by Rule 14H.
- The Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program is compatible with this program. BYOD allows you to receive incentives for installing a battery that provides a grid service.
- BYOD Export credits do not expire.
- Starting on Oct. 1, 2024, Customer Grid-Supply, Customer Grid-Supply Plus and Smart Export will be transitioned to the Smart Renewable Energy Export program 7 years after their initial contract date.
Apply for this program online using our Customer Interconnection Tool.
Export Rates
| Smart Renewable Energy - Export rates for 2024 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Island | Overnight (9pm - 9am) | Daytime (9am - 5pm) | Evening Peak (5pm - 9pm) |
| Oahu | 18.9 cents/kWh* | 13.5 cents/kWh* | 32.9 cents/kWh* |
| Maui | 13.1 cents/kWh* | 6.6 cents/kWh* | 18.2 cents/kWh* |
| Lanai | 25.9 cents/kWh* | 26.7 cents/kWh* | 40.8 cents/kWh* |
| Molokai | 17.4 cents/kWh* | 17.9 cents/kWh* | 27.2 cents/kWh* |
| Hawaii Island | 14.8 cents/kWh* | 10.6 cents/kWh* | 23.1 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, to the benefit of all customers. As an exception, BYOD export credits have no expiration.”
7 year lock in
Export rates will be updated every 3 years. Export rates are locked in for the first 7 years of any new interconnection agreement. Export rates will not be locked in for customers who transition an existing system from one of our previous export programs. For these customers, their export rates will be updated every 3 years. View the information below to view how the lock-in works under different situations.
- New customer - A new customer is someone who is not participating in any of our previous export programs. These customers are given a 7-year period where their export rates will not change. At the start of year 8, the customer’s export rates will be automatically updated and will continue to be automatically updated every 3 years thereafter.
- New customer sells property to a new customer in year 5 - The new customer would inherit the remainder of the 7-year lock in.
- New customer chooses to end the 7-year lock in after year 5 - New customers will be allowed to end the 7-year lock early.
- New customer joining in year 5 of the program - The lock in will start with the current rates in year 5 and will last 7 years until the start of year 12.
- Already participating customer - An already participating customer is someone who has an interconnection agreement in one of our export programs (ex. Customer Grid Supply). These customers are automatically transitioned after 7 years of participation in their previous export program. An already participating customer is not eligible for the 7-year lock in.
- Already participating customer (before automatic transition) - An already participating customer may decide to transition to the current export rates before the automatic transition. Under these circumstances the customer will not be eligible for any lock in period and will not be able to revert back to their locked-in, previous rate.
| Smart Renewable Energy Export example situations | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 1. New Customer | $0.30 | $0.30 | $0.30 | $0.30 | $0.30 | $0.30 | $0.30 | $0.25 | $0.25 | $0.20 | $0.20 | $0.20 |
| 1a. Customer inherits lock in during year 5 | $0.30 | $0.30 | $0.30 | $0.25 | $0.25 | $0.20 | $0.20 | $0.20 | ||||
| 1b. New Customer ending lock in after year 5 | $0.30 | $0.30 | $0.30 | $0.30 | $0.30 | $0.32 | $0.25 | $0.25 | $0.25 | $0.20 | $0.20 | $0.20 |
| 2. New Customer joining in year 5 | $0.32 | $0.32 | $0.32 | $0.32 | $0.32 | $0.32 | $0.32 | $0.20 | ||||
| 3. Already participating customer | $0.30 | $0.30 | $0.30 | $0.32 | $0.32 | $0.32 | $0.25 | $0.25 | $0.25 | $0.20 | $0.20 | $0.20 |
| 3a. Already participating customer (opting in) | $0.30 | $0.30 | $0.30 | $0.32 | $0.32 | $0.32 | $0.25 | $0.25 | $0.25 | $0.20 | $0.20 | $0.20 |
Export rates shown in the above table are sample rates intended only to explain the 7 year lock in behavior.
Requirements
Shift and Save
Shift and Save rates enable you to save money if you shift your energy use away from the high-demand evening and overnight hours that are at a higher kWh rate. The more you shift your energy usage away from those hours, the more money you could save. All participants in the Smart Renewable Energy Export program will be enrolled on the Shift and Save time-of-use (TOU) pilot rate unless the participant decides to decline participation in Shift and Save prior to commencing service on Smart Renewable Energy Export. Participants on Shift and Save also have the option to decline participation in the future. Service under Smart Renewable Energy Export and Shift and Save is available only to Schedule R, G, and J rates, including TOU variants of these rates, on April 1, 2024. However, service under Smart Renewable Energy Export and non-Shift and Save rates will not be available until July 1, 2024. Click here for more information on Shift and Save.
Advanced Meters
Advanced meters are modern electric meters that enable two-way data sharing between your home or business and Hawaiian Electric through a secure wireless communications network. Advanced meters look just like the analog electric meters but with a digital display. Advanced meters are an important component of our grid modernization efforts. All participants in the Smart Renewable Energy Export program must be using advanced meters. Click here for more information on advanced meters.
Apply Online and Download Forms
You may access the Customer Interconnection Tool to apply online. Please see our How To Guide (PDF), How To Make An Amendment Guide (PDF), Training Video, and Frequently Asked Questions for more information.
How to submit an application for Smart Renewable Energy Export (SRE Export)
Amendments
If you have an existing Solar Agreement with Hawaiian Electric, and wish to add, remove, or replace equipment, please submit an amendment through the Customer Interconnection Tool. Amendments are subject to review.
Any new equipment must meet current technical standards, and any new capacity may be limited by the available capacity of your program.
Change of Ownership
Planning to sell or purchase a property with a rooftop solar system already installed, or one with a pending agreement in place? Click here for more information.
