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Hawaiians Demand More Solar, Believe Utility Company Is Slowing Adoption

An overwhelming number of Hawaii residents (94 percent) support more rooftop solar, and 90 percent believe that Hawaiian Electric (HECO) — the state’s largest supplier of electricity — is slowing rooftop solar to protect its profits, according to a new opinion poll.The poll confirms that most residents are familiar with and supportive of rooftop solar; one-third have family members with solar, and more than half have neighbors with solar.Hawaii has the highest solar per capita in the country — residents are accustomed to seeing rooftop solar in their communities and they want to see even more of it in the future.

By Mike Hower | Published 10 years ago | About a 2 minute read

The poll confirms that most residents are familiar with and supportive of rooftop solar; one-third have family members with solar, and more than half have neighbors with solar.

Hawaii has the highest solar per capita in the country — residents are accustomed to seeing rooftop solar in their communities and they want to see even more of it in the future.

Responses revealed that Hawaii residents are adopting solar not only to save money, but also to drive energy independence for the state. Respondents also accurately identified oil dependence and lack of competition in the utility sector as top reasons driving utility rates.

Less than half of those surveyed have a favorable opinion of HECO, while 95 percent have a favorable view of solar power companies. When respondents were informed that the number of solar permits just hit a two-year low on Oahu, half said their opinion of HECO declined even further. In short, HECO's public image is in danger if the utility continues to fall short of public expectations for rooftop solar.

The poll was conducted by Honolulu-based polling firm SMS and commissioned by The Alliance for Solar Choice (TASC), an organization that represents the majority of rooftop solar installations in the United States, including more than seven thousand projects in Hawaii.

"The people of Hawaii clearly want and expect more rooftop solar, and are looking to both HECO and to policymakers to advance policies that help increase access for homes and businesses,” said Jon Yoshimura, a Hawaii spokesperson for TASC. "Hawaii's energy landscape is rapidly changing and we need to adopt new policies and business models that support the public's desire to produce their own clean, homegrown energy."

In January, solar project crowdsourcing company Mosaic, launched a New Year’s Resolution campaign to “Put Solar on It.” The campaign invites anyone to pledge to put solar on a local home, school, place of worship, business or other property on PutSolarOnIt.com. Throughout 2014, Mosaic will provide people with the tools and network they need to make their pledge a reality.

Speaking of renewables, earlier this month Honda unveiled its net zero energy "Smart Home" on the University of California, Davis campus. The company says the building, which includes a charging facility for a Honda Fit EV and is intended to demonstrate Honda's vision for zero-carbon living and personal mobility, will on average generate more electricity from on-site renewable energy than it receives from the local utility.

Mike Hower

Founder & Principal Consultant, Hower Impact

Mike Hower is the founder of Hower Impact — a boutique consultancy delivering best-in-class strategic communication advisory and support for corporate sustainability, ESG and climate tech.

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