In short: Every home on Oʻahu buys power from Hawaiian Electric, which charged about 46¢ to 49¢ per kWh in October 2026 but pays only 13.5¢ for daytime solar exports. Half of Oʻahu’s single-family homes already have solar, and more than nine in ten new systems now include a battery. In August 2026, Hurricane Lala cut power to about 130,000 Oʻahu customers.
Below: what those numbers mean for backup power, solar, batteries and EV charging on the island, and how permits work through Honolulu’s planning department. For statewide rules (the state tax credit, contractor licensing, the end of net metering), see our Hawaii energy guide.
Oʻahu at a glance
- Utility: Hawaiian Electric serves the whole island. Homes paid 42.87¢ per kWh on average in 2024, all charges included (EIA-861). From October 1, 2026, the standard residential rate is 45.81¢ for the first 350 kWh a month, 47.21¢ for the next 850 and 49.48¢ above 1,200, plus a $13.90 customer charge.
- Outages (2024): 234 minutes per customer including major events, about 3.9 hours, and 172 minutes without them. That is the lowest of Hawaii’s four utilities. Customers saw about 1.9 interruptions in the year.
- Sun: 5.68 kWh per square meter per day in Honolulu and 5.84 around Kapolei (NASA POWER, 2001–2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,660 to 1,700 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Top hazards: FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Honolulu County’s overall risk “relatively high.” Lightning and inland flooding rate “very high,” followed by earthquake, landslide, tsunami and wildfire.
- Public charging: 376 ports at 134 locations in Honolulu, 87 in Kapolei, 27 in Kāneʻohe and 23 in Kailua; few are listed in ʻEwa Beach and Pearl City (AFDC, October 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Hawaiian Electric relies heavily on imported fuel. In April 2026 it warned that higher oil prices could raise typical home bills by 20% to 30% over the following months. The programs that matter on Oʻahu:
- Smart Renewable Energy Export: new solar systems earn bill credits for power sent to the grid. Oʻahu’s rates for 2024–2026 are 13.5¢ per kWh in the daytime (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), 32.9¢ in the evening peak (5 to 9 p.m.) and 18.9¢ overnight. Leftover credits expire at the yearly true-up, and new customers keep their export rates for seven years. See Hawaiian Electric’s export program page.
- Smart Renewable Energy Non-Export: no size limit, but the system can’t send power to the grid.
- BYOD Plus: $400 per kW of battery power you commit to the grid, paid upfront, with another $400 per kW for qualifying low- and moderate-income homes. In return, the battery exports during a two-hour window you choose each day, for five years. See the BYOD Plus page.
- Power Partnership: monthly bill credits for letting an approved partner manage your water heater or battery.
- Older systems: homes still on net metering or NEM Plus don’t have to switch.
Backup power on Oʻahu
On an ordinary year, Oʻahu’s grid is the most reliable in the state. Hurricane season 2026 showed what a near miss can do. According to Hawaiian Electric’s own updates:
- Hurricane Lala, August 15 to 20: by the afternoon of August 16, about 130,100 Oʻahu customers were without power across Leeward Oʻahu, Honolulu and the Windward side. Thirty transmission and subtransmission lines on the island were affected, and homes from Salt Lake to East Oʻahu were asked to conserve power. Nearly everyone was back by August 20.
- Hurricane Lowell, September 7 to 9: outages hit Leeward and Windward areas including Nānākuli, Waiʻanae and Mākaha. The last pockets, mostly in Mākaha Valley, were restored on September 9. Some homes needed an electrician to repair their own equipment before Hawaiian Electric could reconnect them.
Wildfire shutoffs are a smaller factor here than on Maui or Hawaiʻi Island. Oʻahu’s Public Safety Power Shutoff zone covers the Waiʻanae Coast: Waiʻanae, Mākaha, Nānākuli, Māʻili and Kaʻena Point, about 2,700 customers when the program began in July 2024. Hawaiian Electric may cut power there when gusts reach 45 mph with low humidity and dry brush. It is also replacing more than 100 poles along Farrington Highway over three years. Sign up for alerts on its PSPS page.
One more reason to plan ahead: under its PUC-approved Rule 16, Hawaiian Electric isn’t liable for storm or shutoff losses such as spoiled food or refrigerated medicine.
- Battery or power station: silent, no fuel to store, fine for condos and close-set houses. A portable power station keeps a fridge, phones and Wi-Fi going; a home battery with solar can recharge every sunny day of a long outage.
- Generator: covers several days of heavy use, but you need fuel on hand and space outdoors at least 20 feet from the house, with exhaust pointed away and CO alarms inside (CPSC). See generator installation.
Size a system with the battery backup calculator or the generator sizing tool, and compare options in our backup power guide.
Solar on Oʻahu
Oʻahu has 82,475 grid-connected solar systems, and half of its single-family homes have panels, the highest share on Hawaiian Electric’s islands. Owners added 2,505 more in the first half of 2026, even after the federal credit ended.
The gap between buying and selling drives the math. Each kW of panels in Honolulu makes about 1,660 kWh a year by our estimate. Used at home, that’s worth about $780 a year at the 47.21¢ middle tier. Exported in the daytime at 13.5¢, the same output earns about $220 (estimates, not quotes). So size the system to what you use, and plan to store the midday surplus. Sun is a little stronger on the ʻEwa plain than in town.
Check your roof with the solar potential tool and the solar savings calculator, then read how solar installation works, what it costs and how export credits compare with net metering.
Home batteries on Oʻahu
Batteries are now standard here. Honolulu issued 5,938 permits for solar with a battery in 2025, or 92.4% of all home solar permits, according to the state economic agency DBEDT. The average permit value was $37,670 and the median $35,500. ʻEwa led with 658 permits, followed by Waipahu (537), Kailua (470), Kāneʻohe (322), Pearl City (309) and Makakilo–Kapolei (255).
A battery earns its keep twice on Oʻahu: it shifts solar into the 5 to 9 p.m. peak, when exports earn 32.9¢ and buying power costs the most, and it backs up the house in a storm. If you join BYOD Plus, ask the installer how much capacity stays reserved for your own outages. See battery costs and battery installation.
EV charging on Oʻahu
Hawaiian Electric counted 40,947 EVs in its service areas in June 2026, and it runs 26 fast-charging sites of its own. At about 30 kWh per 100 miles and the 47.21¢ tier, charging at home costs roughly $14 per 100 miles (an estimate). Charging midday from your own panels costs far less. Hawaiian Electric says EV owners may qualify for a time-of-use rate; check its EV rates page. A Level 2 charger needs a 240-volt circuit and a permit, installed by a licensed electrician. See EV charger installation and the EV charging cost calculator.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Honolulu: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
- City and County of Honolulu, Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP): home solar is filed as a Solar Quick Permit through the HNL Build portal. DPP says Quick Permits process even in a Special Management Area or special district. Its solar permit page links a step-by-step guide and video.
- Hawaiian Electric: solar and batteries need an approved interconnection application before they switch on.
- Wiring: transfer switches, battery backup panels and EV chargers are electrical work for a licensed electrician; the state page explains how to check a license.
In a condo or a planned community, get written approval from the association before you sign a contract.
Cities we cover
- Honolulu
- Kapolei
- ʻEwa Beach
- Kailua
- Kāneʻohe
- Pearl City
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Oʻahu energy questions
How much does Hawaiian Electric pay for solar exports on Oʻahu?
Under Smart Renewable Energy Export, Oʻahu’s 2024–2026 rates are 13.5¢ per kWh from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 32.9¢ from 5 to 9 p.m. and 18.9¢ overnight. New customers keep those rates for seven years. Credits left at the annual true-up expire, so size the system to your own use.
Is a battery worth adding to solar in Honolulu?
Most new Oʻahu systems include one: 92.4% of 2025 home solar permits did, per DBEDT. A battery moves cheap midday solar into the evening, when power costs 47¢ or more to buy, and keeps essentials on in storms like Lala. BYOD Plus pays $400 per committed kW upfront.
Can Hawaiian Electric shut off my power for wildfire risk on Oʻahu?
Only in mapped high-risk areas. On Oʻahu that is the Waiʻanae Coast from Nānākuli to Kaʻena Point, about 2,700 customers when the program started. Hawaiian Electric aims to warn 24 to 48 hours ahead, but sudden conditions can mean little or no notice. Call 1-844-483-8666 to check your address.
What does a solar and battery system cost on Oʻahu?
Honolulu’s 2025 building permits give a guide: $37,670 on average for solar with a battery and $35,500 at the median, about $17,600 for solar alone and about $14,800 for a battery added later (DBEDT, April 2026). These are permit values, not quotes; get several written bids.
Sources
EIA-861, 2024 (price = residential revenue ÷ sales; reliability; net metering); Hawaiian Electric effective rate summary for October 1, 2026, export, BYOD Plus, Power Partnership, PSPS and EV pages, and 2024–2026 news releases (PSPS launch, fuel prices, rooftop solar, EVs, pole hardening, Hurricanes Lala and Lowell); Honolulu DPP solar permit page; DBEDT, Solar PV Battery Installations in Honolulu, 2025 Update (April 2026); NASA POWER, 2001–2020; FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025; AFDC; CPSC. Read October 2026. Estimates are ours and labelled.