BLOG
search

Renewables energy-plus-storage park of Hawaii

Adrienne SorensenAugust 8, 2018 165 0

Renewables energy-plus-storage park of Hawaii 

The sunny state of Hawaii can potentially have a saving cost of $3 to $7 billion by accelerating its transition to solar goal. It’s been validated by the experience of Kauai, where a new solar-plus-storage park reduces the island’s electricity rates. A new law in Hawaii commits to pursuing solar renewables aggressively. Hawaii’s legislature set a goal of 100 percent renewables by 2045 and Hawaiian Electric Industries is chasing a state-approved plan to fulfill this aim. Studies have shown that moving faster towards this aim could save Hawaii $3 to $7 billion between 2020 and 2045. The cost savings range from $3 to $7 billion, reflects two points: 1) moderate renewables prices combined with low oil prices (for $3 billion in savings); and 2) low costs combined with high oil prices (for $7 billion in savings). Kauai has shed new light on this by relying on battery storage  and to store solar energy for later release onto the network.  
 

Kauai is a member-owned co-op utility
 
Kauai is a co-op utility providing power showing how to adopt to renewables quicker. It’s advanced from 8 percent renewables in 2011 to 44 percent now, which is  27 percent above for the rest of Hawaii. The island wants to develop 50 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2023, and 70 percent by 2030. The price of energy from a new solar-plus-storage system on Kauai will be 11 cents per kilowatt-hour. 

 

Customers receive lower electric bills
 
Hawaii’s governor signed a law stating that by 2020, the utilities commission are obligated to create performance incentives and penalties to tie an energy utility’s revenues to its achievement on performance metrics. This breaks the link between investment levels and allowed revenues. Two of the key performance measures affordability of electric bills and rapid integration of renewable energy. In response, Hawaiian Electric has been working with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to research ways to modernize its island grids to incorporate low-cost solar.  The answer for Hawaiian Electric is to run the Rhodium Group’s numbers through its own utility model. This would assist with creating its own estimate of the price reduction from a fast renewables ramp. If the public utility doesn’t have a planning model for this purpose, the utility may need to first upgrade its planning model then re-run the Rhodium Group’s analysis. Assuming that Hawaiian Electric validates the Rhodium study’s results  then it should roll out an aggressive solar ramp. They’ve been working with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to understand how it can modernize its island grids to incorporate low-cost solar to  quicken its pace to accelerate its renewables transition. 
 
These steps lead to its happier customers receiving lower electric rates while Hawaiian Electric could receive performance incentives under Hawaii’s new state law. 
If you want to find out what solar panels are right for you, go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. You can see how much you can save over the next 20 years by going solar, and we can help find local solar installers who can help. For more information relating to going solar, don't forget to visit our solar blog section for more handy guides and articles.
 

 

Solar system price checker

Comments

Design Your Solar Home

START

12 3

Input your address to see if it is solar friendly and how much you can save with solar.

Great. Your address is perfect for solar. Solar incentive is still available. Select monthly utility cost and calculate the size of solar system you will need now.

Whoa ! Going solar is definitely a smart decision.

kw System size years Payback period Lifetime savings

No money down, 100% finance is available.

Looking for certified solar installers? Sign up now and we will find them for you.

Do not show this information again.