Honolulu energy storage permits jumps more than 1,700%
Last year, the number of solar+storage permits granted by Honolulu city and county increased to 731, a startling increase from the 40 the city granted in 2016.
It’s safe to say battery storage has come to Hawaii after Honolulu County experienced a record-shattering year in issuing permits for solar+storage permits for homeowners and businesses alike.
According to a report by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), the state capital issued 731 permits for solar+storage projects which, given the county’s population of nearly 908,000 may not seem like much – until you realize the permitting office provided a total of 40 permits in 2016.
While the number of permits issued started off slowly, a sharp spike started in May once the city and county streamlined the application and approval process.
The data also shows that homeowners who installed PV+batteries at the same time – as opposed to installing them separately or adding batteries to an existing system – saved more than $7,700.
Only seven of the permits were issued to commercial PV installations, indicating a potential growth market for solar installers in a state where residential solar penetration may be close to reaching saturation.
The sharp rise in permits issued for solar+storage comes as the state legislature is trying – again – to pass a bill (SB 2016) for energy storage installations…..
