Hawaiian Electric fishes for additional shared solar project proposals on Oahu, Maui and Hawaii Island

Hawaiian Electric is seeking new solar project proposals, the company announced last week, to benefit customers on Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii Island as part of a community-based renewable energy program.

Subscriber organizations can propose shared solar facilities. If approved, customers on the affected islands could become subscribers to such facilities by applying directly to the subscriber organization. Once completed and brought online, the facility and its organization would then provide subscribers credits on their monthly electricity bill, based on the output of the project and their level of participation.

The goal of the community effort is to simultaneously lower participants’ energy bills and help reduce both imported fossil fuels and carbon emissions. It also lets customers traditionally unable to benefit from rooftop solar electricity installation – renters, apartment residents, small business owners, and others – go green.

Developers, companies, organizations, or groups authorized to do business in Hawaii will be able to submit proposals for shared solar project development until Aug. 17, 2022. Proposals will be evaluated, after which selectees will be deemed subscriber organizations and authorized to build.

The solicitation has been named the Tranche 1 shared solar RFP.