Solar Energy already makes up 27% of our Energy but it still has much more potential
Most of Maui's solar energy comes from consumer solar panels but there's room and potential for solar farms to be built that will benefit all of Maui.
Current Solar Energy Production
Customer-sited Solar ~120.2 MW
Hawaii has given home owners incentives like tax credits and $0 down payments on installing solar panels. This has increased the number of people who can afford their own solar panels and led to over 30% of homes in Maui County producing solar energy.
Kihei Solar Farm 2.9 MW
Location: North Kihei Completed: May 2018 PPA Rate: $.1106/kWh Although our current solar farms are relatively small projects, they provide much cheaper, cleaner energy and lead the way for larger scale developments.
Ku'ia Solar 2.9 MW
Location: Lahaina Completed: October 2018 PPA Rate: $.1106/kWh
Maui has lots of potential solar energy, as made apparent by the 120 MW of energy gathered from residential solar panels across the island. The two solar farms we have are a good start but there's much more solar energy that could be captured. To work towards Hawaii's goal to be powered by 100% renewable energy by 2045, the Hawaii Energy Companies (HECO) requested proposals for new renewable energy projects. Six new solar developments were approved for Maui:
Kuihelani Solar 60 MW
Location: Central Maui (Between Maui Veterans Hwy and Kuihelani Hwy) Estimated Completion: October 27, 2023 PPA Rate: $0.08 kWh Storage: 240 MWh % of Maui's Energy: 15%
These new solar farms are all planned to complete by 2024. They'll produce 175MW of new solar energy and will power 37% of Maui, adding to the existing 27% produced by consumer-site panels and our current two solar farms.
Interactive Map of Hawaii Solar Developments
Rotate your phone to view Map ↺
Press 'I understand', then 'OK', then the home button, and then zoom to Maui to learn more about each of the new solar developments
Average Energy Cost: ≤ $0.23 / kWh (Current: $0.33 / kWh)
Solar - ≥ 64% (~302.2 MW) New Solar Farm developments will add 175 MW of energy production to Maui's grid as soon as 2024. Combined with the continually growing number of consumer-site panels, solar energy will create over 300 MW of energy and provide electricity for about 64% of Maui.
Oil - < 21% (~98.1 MW) These solar farms are being built for the purpose of reducing our consumption of oil for energy as quickly as possible. Combined, these new solar developments will prevent us from burning roughly 250,00 barrels of oil per year for at least the next 25 years; resulting in 5.5 million barrels of petroleum avoided.
