Hawaii Plug-In Solar Laws

The proposed 1.2 kW figure is not a current Hawaii limit

The four measures do not add up to one simple 1,200 W rule. SB 2902 and HB 2609 used maximum power output. HB 2486 used maximum aggregate rated power output across devices connected to one meter. HB 2435 used aggregate rated AC power output per electrical service. Panel DC nameplate watts, inverter AC output and power exported at the meter are different measurements.

Each distinction belonged to a proposed definition that never took effect. A product page that says 1.2 kW therefore does not establish a current statewide route. Record panel DC capacity, continuous inverter AC output and expected export separately, then ask the serving utility which value its current process uses.

Hawaiian Electric and KIUC use separate current routes

Hawaiian Electric serves Oahu, Hawaii Island and Maui County. Rule 14H requires the relevant interconnection application or agreement and company approval before generating equipment is interconnected. The utility's Customer Interconnection Tool and Smart DER materials are the starting points for a grid-parallel system in its territory.

Kauai follows a separate route through KIUC. The cooperative tells customers to submit an interconnection request for engineering review before installing distributed generation, with details in Tariff No. 2. A Hawaiian Electric form cannot replace KIUC review. Identify the provider from the account or service address before choosing forms, equipment or a meter pathway.

The bills did not name UL 3700

The introduced texts of SB 2902, HB 2609 and HB 2486 referred to UL or an equivalent nationally recognized testing laboratory. HB 2435 required NRTL certification for the intended application. A later SB 2902 version directed the Public Utilities Commission to determine a certification standard. None of the reviewed texts names UL 3700.

UL 3700 remains an Outline of Investigation. A generic UL mark does not identify the product, configuration or test standard, and an inverter certification does not automatically cover the panel, cable, plug, controls and mounting as a complete system. Match the exact model and configuration to the laboratory record and the current utility requirement before treating a certification claim as evidence.

• Record the exact model, included components, laboratory, certification mark and named standard.
• Confirm whether the evidence covers a component or the complete connected system.
• Verify the receptacle, branch circuit, protection and grid-loss behavior for the approved configuration.
• Do not convert proposed bill language into a current product-compliance claim.

Property permission and export treatment remain separate

HB 2435 would have limited agreements that prevented an owner from installing a qualifying device, while preserving reasonable restrictions for safety, structure, appearance and common property. That protection did not take effect. Anyone using shared property still needs the applicable written decision for the panel, mount, railing, facade, cable route and equipment location.

The reviewed proposals promised no payment for surplus electricity. HB 2435 expressly excluded net-energy or export compensation, while the other proposals focused on exemptions and onsite consumption. Current meter behavior and any credit depend on the serving utility and approved tariff. Model savings from verified daytime self-consumption unless the utility confirms another treatment in writing.