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Solar incentives in Hawaii
What is actually on offer here in 2026 — the state incentive, the federal position, and the export rule, which is usually worth more than either.
The state incentive
35% state credit, capped at $5,000. Hawaii Renewable Energy Technologies Income Tax Credit.
The federal position
§25D, the 30% residential credit, expired for systems placed in service after 31 December 2025 — installed, not merely purchased. §48E did not expire on that schedule, and a company owning panels on your roof under a lease or PPA can still claim it. That asymmetry, not anything specific to Hawaii, is the largest single change in residential solar economics. The detail, with sources.
Rate schedules and export rules
What your surplus earns is set here, and it is where two identical systems a mile apart stop being comparable.
Hawaiian Electric — Residential R + Smart Renewable Export
The strongest evening export signal in America: 32.9¢/kWh for exports between 5 and 9pm on Oahu. Fixed charge $12.50/month.
Summer Flat $0.42.
Winter Flat $0.41.
Exports: time-varying export credit — about 32.9¢/kWh in the 5–9pm window, 13.5¢ midday, under Smart Renewable Export.
Source: Hawaiian Electric Smart Renewable Energy Export, Oahu block rates
Production in Hawaii
| City | kWh per kW / year | 7 kW system |
|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, HI | 1,542 | 10,792 |
Policy changes affecting Hawaii
- The 30% residential solar credit is gone. What replaced it is not a credit.The 4 July begin-construction deadline has passed. What that means for commercial projects.Net billing is the default now, and it changes what a solar panel is for
Work out your own number
Credits are the easy part. What decides payback is how much of your own production you use versus export, hour by hour, against the schedules above.
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