Hawaii · Net metering
Hawaii Smart Export Tariff (SET)
Sets the billing terms for excess solar generation sent back to the grid by residential customers in Hawaii -- see the credit rate and how it shapes payback below.
- Time-of-use export r…
- stated benefit
- Residential
- eligible customers
- 5.2 yr
- Hawaii baseline payback
- 3
- other Hawaii programs
What it means
In Hawaii, a 6 kW system already pays back in about 5.2 years on ~$3,928/year of modeled savings, and the Hawaii Smart Export Tariff (SET) stacks on top of that, on top of any federal credit.
- Time-of-use ex…
- stated benefit
- 5.2 yr
- baseline payback (pre-incentive)
- 4
- Hawaii programs that stack
- partial
- net-metering policy
Payback and savings are modeled from public NREL/EIA data; the program benefit is summarized from DSIRE and may change.
Program description
Under SET, solar exports are credited at time-of-use rates. Battery storage maximizes value.
Program at a glance
- Program type
- Net metering
- Eligible customers
- Residential
- Stated benefit
- Time-of-use export rates
- State electricity rate
- 38¢/kWh
- Hawaii solar score
- 67/100
How Hawaii compares to the U.S. average
Why this incentive matters more (or less) here - Hawaii's solar fundamentals against the national average.
Source: NREL irradiance and U.S. EIA rates; payback modeled by PlainSolarData. Bars are scaled to the larger of the two values per metric.
Solar's trajectory in Hawaii
The market this incentive operates in: total installed solar capacity in Hawaii reported to the EIA.
Hawaii's solar incentive stack
How this net metering sits among Hawaii's 3 tracked programs, by type
- Tax exemption
Tax exemption
1 programs
- Loan
Loan
1 programs
- Net metering
Net metering
1 programs
What this shows Hawaii tracks 3 incentive types; net metering (1 program) governs the billing side, while the state's other tracked types handle upfront cost or ongoing payments.
How this incentive fits Hawaii's solar picture
The Hawaii Smart Export Tariff (SET) governs how Hawaii credits excess solar generation sent back to the grid, one of the state's DSIRE-tracked solar policies. Eligibility is scoped to residential customers, with a stated benefit of Time-of-use export rates. DSIRE lists no scheduled sunset, though enabling legislation and appropriations can still be revised year to year.
That baseline is already fast by national standards. Hawaii averages 5.9 kWh/m²/day of usable sunlight and residential rates of 38¢/kWh, producing an estimated 10,337 kWh/year and $3,928 of annual utility offset on a typical 6 kW system costing $20,400. That baseline already implies a 5.2-year simple payback and a 25-year modeled net of roughly $77,800 before this incentive - every dollar this net metering delivers compresses that payback further.
A handful of other levers are worth checking alongside this one. Hawaii has 4 solar incentive programs indexed in DSIRE, including adjacent options like HI Solar Property Tax Exemption, Hawaii Green Infrastructure Loan (GEMS). The state's net-metering policy is classified as partial, which governs how excess generation is credited and often decides whether a given program is worth claiming for a specific household.
Your next step
- See Hawaii's full solar profile, score, irradiance, rates, payback, and every program you can claim. Hawaii solar data
- Run the savings calculator with your real bill to see how this incentive changes your own payback. ROI calculator
- See how net-metering credits are valued state by state. Net-metering guide
Estimates here are modeled from public data and are not financial advice; confirm program terms and your own eligibility before relying on a dollar figure.
Other Hawaii incentives
Frequently asked questions
What is the Hawaii Smart Export Tariff (SET)?
How does the Hawaii Smart Export Tariff (SET) work?
Who is eligible for the Hawaii Smart Export Tariff (SET)?
How does this incentive affect solar ROI in Hawaii?
Are there other solar incentives in Hawaii?
Incentive data from the DSIRE (Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency); state solar economics from NREL and the U.S. EIA. See our methodology.