What is Battery Bonus?
by Michael Choe | April 23, 2023
Hawaiian Electric offers numerous programs that benefit customers. One of those programs is Battery Bonus, which offers a cash incentive and bill credits for those who add energy storage to their rooftop solar system. Even though I can’t participate in Battery Bonus since I live in an apartment, it’s always interesting to see the creative ways our company offers help to both customers and the state. Energy storage is new technology that helps customers, our company and the state consume more renewable energy in a more reliable and efficient way. In addition to helping individual households with their bills and energy efficiency, this program contributes more renewable power to the grid, pushing the state closer to reaching its goal of 100% clean energy by 2045.
What are the incentives?
- A one-time check of $850 per kilowatts (kW) committed with a maximum of 15 megawatts (MW) for Maui and 40 MW for Oahu
- Monthly bill credit of $5 per kW
- Monthly bill credit for non-Net Energy Metering (NEM) program customers
- Help accelerate the state of Hawaii to reach 100% renewable energy
What are the requirements?
- Must be a residential or commercial customer with rooftop solar and a battery storage system charged from on-site solar generation
- Must be under one of the following programs: Net Energy Metering, Customer Self-Supply, Customer Grid-Supply, Customer Grid-Supply Plus, Smart Export or Standard Interconnection Agreement
- Projects must have been installed on or after July 1, 2021 (Oahu) or June 1, 2022 (Maui)
- A new battery must be installed
- The battery must be used two hours a day between times specified by Hawaiian Electric
- Proof of building permit application with county permitting office
- Submission of Battery Bonus amendment in the Hawaiian Electric Customer Interconnection Tool
- Seven days of operational data
- IRS W-9 Form
Currently the Battery Bonus program is only available for customers on Oahu and Maui. Applications on Oahu are open and being accepted through August 14, 2023 or until the 40 MW limit is reached. On Maui, applications will be accepted through June 30, 2024 or until the 15 MW limit is reached. For more information and resources, visit www.hawaiianelectric.com/batterybonus.
Michael Choe is a digital communications and social media specialist at Hawaiian Electric.
