According to a filing with the Hawaiian Public Utilities Commission (PUC) released on April 22, 2020, Hawaiian Electric (HECO) has not seen a drop in applications for rooftop solar system interconnections despite the shelter-in-place order; between March 5 and April 15, 2020, the company received 40% more applications than the same period in 2019.[1] The filing was in response to a letter submitted to the PUC by Hawaiian distributed energy resource (DER) groups on April 3, 2020, which outlines various measures to expedite interconnection processes and support the DER sector during the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] According to the groups, which include the Distributed Energy Resources Council, Hawaii PV Coalition, and Hawaii Solar Energy Association, streamlining HECO’s interconnection processes could help customers complete installations and shrink their electric bills. The groups recommended that distributed systems below 25 kW be allowed to operate once they are installed as well as other provisions to help the distributed solar sector.

In its response, the HECO remarked that solar contractors are continuing to work and building inspections are still progressing so the pandemic should not significantly hamper the installation of DER in the near term. The utility also listed some of the measures it is taking to ensure interconnection processes are smooth such as remotely reviewing applications and loosening deadlines for installations to be completed, but noted that some of the group’s suggestions would lead to safety risks.

[1] https://dms.puc.hawaii.gov/dms/DocumentViewer?pid=A1001001A20D22B62259D00190

[2] https://dms.puc.hawaii.gov/dms/DocumentViewer?pid=A1001001A20D03B54540J00106