Hawaii
Solar Permit Plans.
NEC 2020. Smart DER Programs.
Battery Not Optional — It's the Model.
Hawaiian Electric ended traditional net metering for new customers in 2015 — the first major US utility to do so. Today's new solar customers choose between Smart Renewable Energy Export (export allowed, advanced meter required) or Customer Self-Supply (no export, battery-backed). With Oahu rates above 40 cents per kWh, every kilowatt-hour of self-consumed solar is worth more here than anywhere in the US. The permit plan set has to match the program.
First State to End NEM. Highest Rates in the US. Battery-First Economics.
Permit Design builds Hawaii solar permit plan sets for solar installers, EPCs, and roofing companies across all four counties. Hawaii's State Electrical Code adopts the 2020 NEC, effective March 15, 2022, with Hawaii State Building Code Council amendments. Building codes use the 2018 IBC and 2018 IRC with Hawaii amendments. Each of Hawaii's four counties — Honolulu, Maui, Hawaii County, and Kauai — serves as its own AHJ for building permits, with separate application processes and inspectors. There is no state-level building department for residential permits.
The more consequential Hawaii distinction is the solar program structure. Hawaiian Electric ended traditional net metering for new customers in 2015 — a full decade before most mainland utilities began rethinking NEM. New customers today choose between Smart Renewable Energy Export (connected to the grid, export credit issued, advanced meter required) and Customer Self-Supply (battery-backed, no grid export, sized around self-consumption). With Oahu residential electricity rates exceeding 40 cents per kWh — more than double the national average — the financial logic of self-consumption is stronger here than anywhere in the mainland US. Every Hawaii plan set must document the correct program, the required advanced inverter configuration, and hurricane wind loads specific to the island and location.
Last updated: June 2026 · NEC 2020 adoption, Hawaiian Electric program structure, and county AHJ requirements confirmed as of June 2026.
Net Metering Ended in 2015. Two Programs Exist for New Customers Today.
Hawaiian Electric operates the most complex residential solar program structure in the US. Understanding which program a customer is on — or will be enrolled in — determines the entire design approach, required equipment, and permit documentation.
NEC 2020 Statewide · 2018 IBC + IRC · Hurricane Wind Loads Are Non-Negotiable
Hawaii's code stack is built around its unique physical environment — isolated island grids, hurricane exposure, salt air corrosion, and on the Big Island, active volcanic terrain. Every structural calculation for Hawaii solar must account for the specific island and location.
Four Counties, Four Building Departments, One Utility Structure
Hawaii has no state-level residential building department. Each county enforces its own permit process, and Kauai's utility (KIUC) operates completely separately from the Hawaiian Electric programs that govern the other three counties.
| County | Islands | Building AHJ | Utility | Solar Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu | Oahu | Dept. of Planning & Permitting (DPP) | Hawaiian Electric | Highest solar saturation in state; DPP permit portal; rates 40¢+/kWh |
| Maui | Maui, Molokai, Lanai | Maui County Department of Public Works | Hawaiian Electric | Rates even higher than Oahu on Molokai and Lanai; wind-exposed coastal sites |
| Hawaii County | Big Island | Hawaii County Department of Public Works | Hawaiian Electric | Lava flow hazard zones in Puna; volcanic SO₂ affects material selection on Leeward coast |
| Kauai | Kauai, Niihau | Kauai County Planning Department | KIUC (not HECO) | KIUC programs differ from HECO; 70%+ renewable generation daytime; own interconnection process |
Hawaii Solar Permit Plan Set Contents
Every Hawaii plan set documents NEC 2020, the confirmed HECO program (Smart Renewable Energy Export or CSS), advanced inverter IEEE 1547-2018 functions, and ASCE 7 hurricane wind loads for the specific island and location.
Also doing commercial rooftop or ground-mount in Hawaii?
Hawaii commercial solar structural packages reference the 2018 IBC with Hawaii amendments, NEC 2020 Article 690 electrical, and Hawaiian Electric Smart Renewable Energy Export interconnection documentation with Rule 14H sizing review. ASCE 7 hurricane wind loads and salt air corrosion exposure class CE applied per the specific island and site exposure. Advanced inverter IEEE 1547-2018 documentation included per HECO technical standards. Engineering covers standing-seam and ballasted rooftops, carport canopy structures, and ground-mount systems — Big Island volcanic terrain and lava zone restrictions factored where applicable. Custom scope and turnaround quoted per project.
How Hawaii Solar Permit Plan Sets Work
Submit Your Hawaii Project
Give us the island, county, and street address. We confirm whether the project is served by Hawaiian Electric (Oahu, Maui, Big Island) or KIUC (Kauai), identify the correct HECO program (Smart Renewable Energy Export or CSS), note the ASCE 7 hurricane wind speed zone and corrosion exposure class, and flag any Big Island lava zone restrictions.
Built to NEC 2020 + Program Requirements
NEC 2020 Article 690 — single-device rapid shutdown per §690.12, advanced inverter IEEE 1547-2018 documentation per HECO technical standards, program-specific interconnection format. 2018 IRC structural with ASCE 7 hurricane loads for the specific island location and exposure category. Hawaii-licensed PE stamp on all structural sheets.
Delivered in 24–48 Hours
The full 7-sheet Hawaii package ships in 24–48 hours. Interconnection documentation matches the confirmed program — Smart Renewable Energy Export or CSS — formatted for submission through Hawaiian Electric's Customer Interconnection Tool or KIUC's process on Kauai. Free revisions until the Hawaii county AHJ approves.
Try Us on Your First Hawaii Project. Free.
New to Permit Design? Submit your first Hawaii residential project and we'll build the complete 7-sheet package at no charge — NEC 2020 electrical with advanced inverter documentation, 2018 IRC structural with ASCE 7 hurricane wind loads for the specific island, and interconnection paperwork formatted for the confirmed Hawaiian Electric program or KIUC on Kauai.
⚠️ For licensed solar installers, EPCs, and roofing companies only. Individual homeowners and residential end customers are not eligible. One free residential plan set per company.
Hawaii Solar Permit Design — Frequently Asked Questions
Hawaii Solar by the Numbers
Top 3 Reasons Hawaii Solar Permits Get Rejected
Three plan set issues account for most Hawaii permit delays across the four county building departments.
The Permit Design Commitment
What every solar installer, EPC, and roofing company can expect on every project.
Solar Permit Plan Sets — High Solar Resource States
Hawaii Solar Permits —
Program-Matched. Hurricane-Rated.
NEC 2020 · Smart DER Export or CSS · IEEE 1547-2018 Advanced Inverter
ASCE 7 Hurricane Loads · 4 Counties · 24–48 Hours