The Frustration of Developing Microgrids in Hawaii

By Lisa Cohn, Microgrid Knowledge

Hawaii has plenty of sun available for business, home and school microgrids, but deploying them can be tough due to existing policies and regulations.

Frustration is running high among people who’d like to see more solar and microgrids deployed, including a homeowner, a school district and an industry group described in this article. Some of them have intervened in Hawaii’s microgrid tariff case, now before the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission (HPUC), which may set precedents nationwide.

Homeowner Tom Martin, an intervenor in the case, said he’d like to lower his electricity prices more than is now possible with a home microgrid he’s planning.

Martin intends to form the microgid by incoporating batteries and controls into his 60 to 80 solar panel system — which produces about 17.6 KW combined.

But Hawaiian Electric (HECO) isn’t addressing...Continue reading on Microgrid Knowledge.