--- title: Is Battery Storage Worth It in Hawaii? description: Should you add a battery to your solar in Hawaii? How Hawaiian Electric export credits, BYOD Plus and the 2026 tax credit changes affect the answer for Oahu and Big Island homes. image: https://www.alohasolarpro.com/hubfs/dji_fly_20250314_125026_956_1741992730308_photo_optimized%202.jpeg --- [Skip to content](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/scoops/is-battery-storage-worth-it-in-hawaii#main-content) ![Aloha Solar Pro](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/hs-fs/hubfs/aloha-solar-pro-side.png?width=240&height=74&name=aloha-solar-pro-side.png)Homepage - [Home](https://www.alohasolarpro.com) - [About](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/about) - [Contact](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/contact) - [Scoops](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/scoops) [Free consultation](https://meetings.hubspot.com/anela-havellana) - [Home](https://www.alohasolarpro.com) - [About](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/about) - [Contact](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/contact) - [Scoops](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/scoops) [Free consultation](https://meetings.hubspot.com/anela-havellana) ![](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/hs-fs/hubfs/dji_fly_20250314_125026_956_1741992730308_photo_optimized%202.jpeg?width=4000&height=3000&name=dji_fly_20250314_125026_956_1741992730308_photo_optimized%202.jpeg) # Is Battery Storage Worth It in Hawaii? ![Anela Havellana](https://7528315.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/7528315/hubfs/raw_assets/public/mV0_d-cms-elevate-theme_hubspot/elevate/images/avatar-placeholder.jpg?width=48&height=48&name=avatar-placeholder.jpg) Anela Havellana October 10, 2026 Aloha! It's the question I hear most from homeowners on Oahu and the Big Island: **"Do I really need a battery?"** On the mainland, people often add one later. Here in Hawaii, the math is different: the battery is what makes solar pay off. That's why every system we design includes one. Here's how I explain it in a consultation. ## Why Hawaii is different from the mainland Years ago, Hawaiian Electric's net metering program let you send extra solar power to the grid and get full retail credit for it. That program closed to new customers back in 2015. Today, new solar customers go on Hawaiian Electric's **Smart DER** program. Most homes still buy their power on the standard residential rate (Schedule R), but the credit you get for power you send to the grid now depends on the time of day. Here's the catch. On Oahu, power you send to the grid in the middle of the day earns about **13.5¢ per kWh**. Power you buy from Hawaiian Electric on Schedule R costs **around 44–48¢ per kWh** for a typical Oahu home (July 2026 rates), and even more on Hawaii Island. In other words, giving your extra noon-time solar to the grid and buying it back at night is a losing trade. A battery fixes that. It stores the solar your panels make at midday so you can use it in the evening, when your family is home cooking, running the AC and doing laundry, instead of buying expensive grid power. ## The evening hours matter most Under Smart DER, export credits are highest during the **evening peak, 5pm to 9pm**. On Oahu that credit is about 32.9¢ per kWh, and about 23.1¢ on Hawaii Island. That's when the grid needs power most. With a battery, you can cover your own evening use first and send stored power to the grid when it's worth more. ## Backup power when the grid goes down We all know what a big storm or a downed line can do. A battery can keep your essentials running during an outage: refrigerator, lights, internet, medical equipment, a few outlets. Solar panels alone shut off when the grid is down, for safety reasons. With a battery, your system can keep running and recharge from the sun each day. For kūpuna living at home, families with medical needs, or anyone in an area that loses power often, this peace of mind can be worth as much as the savings. ## Hawaiian Electric's BYOD Plus program Hawaiian Electric also pays homeowners to let their batteries help the grid. Under **Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Plus**, you commit part of your battery's capacity to send power to the grid during a two-hour window each day, and you get: - A one-time payment of **$400 per kW** you commit (for example, about $2,000 for 5 kW), with an extra adder for qualifying lower-income households - Monthly bill credits for the power your battery exports during that window It's a multi-year agreement, and leaving early means paying back part of the upfront incentive, so we'll walk you through the terms before you sign up. Program details can change, so we always confirm the current terms with Hawaiian Electric for your address. ## What about tax credits? Two big changes to know about: - **The federal 30% credit for homeowners who buy solar ended after 2025.** If someone quotes you a price that still counts on it for a cash or loan purchase, ask questions. - **Hawaii's state credit is still here for now, but it's changing.** It's 35% of the cost of a solar system, up to $5,000 per system for a home. A new law passed in 2026 (Act 24) adds a statewide yearly cap starting in 2027, adds income limits starting with the 2027 tax year, and ends the credit after 2029. Because credits are shrinking, I always show you your numbers both with and without them, so you know your system makes sense on its own. Please check with your tax preparer about your own situation. ## What a battery does for your home - Lets you use your own solar in the evening instead of buying power at 44¢ or more - Gets you the most out of Smart DER, where daytime export credits are much lower than what you pay for power - Keeps your essentials running when the grid goes down - Can earn you upfront and monthly payments through BYOD Plus ## Already have solar? You can add a battery to the system you already have. If you're on an older net metering agreement, talk with us first: changing your system can affect your agreement, and we'll make sure you keep the benefits you have. ## Let's look at your numbers Every home is different. In a free 45-minute consultation, I'll look at your Hawaiian Electric bill, size a solar and battery system to how your family actually uses power, and show you the savings, costs and financing options side by side. No pressure, just plain numbers. [**Book your free consultation**](https://meetings.hubspot.com/anela-havellana) or call or text [(808) 388-8880](tel:+18083888880). Mahalo, Anela *Rates and program details as of October 2026, from Hawaiian Electric's published rates and program pages. They change often, so we'll confirm the current numbers for your home.* ## Share this post [mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.alohasolarpro.com%2Fscoops%2Fis-battery-storage-worth-it-in-hawaii](mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.alohasolarpro.com%2Fscoops%2Fis-battery-storage-worth-it-in-hawaii) ## Keep reading ### [How to Read Your Hawaiian Electric Bill](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/scoops/how-to-read-your-hawaiian-electric-bill) ### [5 Questions to Ask Before Going Solar on Oahu or the Big Island](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/scoops/5-questions-to-ask-before-going-solar-on-oahu-or-the-big-island) [![Aloha Solar Pro](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/hs-fs/hubfs/aloha-solar-pro-side.png?width=220&height=68&name=aloha-solar-pro-side.png "Aloha Solar Pro")](https://alohasolarpro.com) - [Home](https://www.alohasolarpro.com) - [About](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/about) - [Contact](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/contact) - [Scoops](https://www.alohasolarpro.com/scoops) --- Privacy Policy · Legal · © 2026 Aloha Solar Pro. All rights reserved. ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Anela Havellana", "url" : "https://www.alohasolarpro.com/scoops/author/anela-havellana" }, "dateModified" : "2026-10-10T04:11:42.321Z", "datePublished" : "2026-10-10T03:26:36.000Z", "headline" : "Is Battery Storage Worth It in Hawaii?", "image" : [ "https://www.alohasolarpro.com/hubfs/dji_fly_20250314_125026_956_1741992730308_photo_optimized%202.jpeg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.alohasolarpro.com/scoops/is-battery-storage-worth-it-in-hawaii", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject" }, "name" : "Aloha Solar Pro" } } ```