Hawaiian Electric releases Smart Renewable Energy framework for rooftop solar, energy storage programs

Pushing forward with customer-sited resources, Hawaiian Electric recently released a new framework to streamline customer choices when participating in its rooftop solar energy programs.

“We are excited to offer our customers Smart Renewable Energy and BYOD, which give them an opportunity to offset their energy bills while helping make the grid more resilient,” Kaiulani Shinsato, Hawaiian Electric Customer Energy Resources co-director, said. “Hawaiian Electric is thankful to all the stakeholders who worked so hard to bring this to fruition.”

Known as Smart Renewable Energy, or Smart DER, this program was developed with the oversight of the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission and replaced almost all of Hawaiian Electric’s other rooftop solar programs. Except for Net Energy Metering (NEM), these programs have been consolidated under Smart DER. Additionally, it rolled out a new program known as Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) as a replacement for the Battery Bonus program.

Smart DER is divided into two tracks: export and non-export. Enrollees in past programs will have to transition going forward, with some exceptions. NEM and NEM Plus participants, along with Battery Bonus participants, will not have to transition to the new programs, but Battery Bonus customers will be able to do so prior to their agreement ending.

Customer Grid Supply (CGS), CGS Plus and Smart Export customers will need to switch to the export track no later than seven years from their initial agreement date, beginning Oct. 1, 2024. This will be automatic. As for Customer Self Supply or Standard Interconnection Agreement customers, they aren’t required to switch to Smart Renewable Energy, but if they choose to, they will be put to the program’s non-export track.