Solar and battery interconnection rules in Hawaii

Size bands and what each one obliges

The screens that decide it

• Within the 100 kW non export and export limited ceiling Limit 100 kW.

  A non export or export limited facility under the program riders must be less than 100 kW. A non export system meeting the technical specifications qualifies for expedited interconnection.

• Single phase below the 10 kW technical review threshold Limit 10 kW.

  A single phase facility with a capacity greater than 10 kW is reviewed by the company in its initial technical review.

• Aggregate generation under 15 percent of line section peak 15 percent of line section peak load, a figure only the utility holds.

  Hawaii asks whether aggregate capacity on the line section is 15 percent or less of line section peak, and the feeder version measures against the annual peak kVA load rather than kW. Failing is not fatal: it routes to supplemental review. The short circuit screen triggers supplemental review where the summed contribution exceeds 10 percent or this facility alone exceeds 2.5 percent.

Ask the utility this, before you sell it

1. Confirm this customer is enrolling in the Smart Renewable Energy Program. Net energy metering, customer self supply, customer grid supply, customer grid supply plus and smart export are all closed to new enrollments, and net metering plus is open only to an existing net metering customer, so a new customer has one option.
2. What is the interconnection requirements study cost estimate? Hawaii publishes no study deposit schedule and prices each study individually, and the customer either pays the estimate or withdraws.
3. Is the battery discharge limited by programming or an on site limiting element? If so the reduced figure is used for technical system size, which can move the project into a lighter review.

Worth knowing before you quote

Note the conflict between the two Hawaiian Electric documents on insurance and use the program tariff: the interconnection standards say the company will not impose a standardized insurance requirement, while the Smart Renewable Energy Program tariff publishes a full table by capacity band. Timelines are in business days except the interconnection requirements study, which is 150 calendar days: five to provide standards, fifteen for completeness, fifteen for the initial technical review, twenty for supplemental review, then five and fifteen for the closing steps. No aggregate program cap appears in the Rule 32 tariff.