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A non-export solar system is designed so that no electricity ever flows from your home back onto the utility grid. Everything the panels produce is used in the house as it is generated, stored in a battery, or held back when neither is possible. An export system does the opposite: it sends surplus solar to the grid in exchange for bill credits. On Hawaiian Electric’s grid, those two designs correspond to the Smart Renewable Energy Non-Export and Smart Renewable Energy Export programs. The better choice depends on when your household uses power, whether you add a battery, and how much room your neighborhood circuit has for more rooftop solar. ProVision Solar designs both types across Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island, and this guide explains the technical differences in plain language.
What Is a Non-Export Solar System?
A non-export solar system is a grid-connected solar installation that uses control equipment to guarantee it never pushes power past your meter. The home still draws from the grid whenever solar and storage fall short, but power only flows one direction. Current sensors at your main electrical panel watch the flow of electricity in real time, and the inverter or battery controller adjusts solar output so the house absorbs every watt produced.
Under Hawaiian Electric’s Smart Renewable Energy Non-Export program, all technologies are allowed, there are no program capacity limits, and system size is governed by the utility’s Rule 14H interconnection requirements, per Hawaiian Electric. Because these systems do not send energy to the grid, they are eligible for expedited review and approval even in areas with existing voltage limitations. All participants need an advanced meter.
How a Non-Export Solar System Handles Extra Midday Power
Non-export design handles extra midday power in a fixed order. First, solar serves whatever the home is using, such as air conditioning, the refrigerator, and the pool pump. Second, surplus charges the battery. Third, once the battery is full and household demand is low, the inverter reduces panel output, a process called curtailment. Curtailed energy is simply never produced, so good design matters. An experienced installer sizes the array and battery together so that curtailment stays small on typical days.
How Does an Export System Earn Credits in Hawaii?
An export system earns bill credits for surplus solar sent to the grid, and in Hawaii the value of each exported kilowatt-hour depends on the time of day and your island. Hawaiian Electric’s Smart Renewable Energy Export credit rates, per its published program rates, are set in three periods:
- Oahu: 13.5 cents per kilowatt-hour during the day (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), 32.9 cents during the evening peak (5 to 9 p.m.), and 18.9 cents overnight
- Hawaii Island: 10.6 cents during the day, 23.1 cents during the evening peak, and 14.8 cents overnight
- Maui: 6.6 cents during the day, 18.2 cents during the evening peak, and 13.1 cents overnight
Rates are locked for the first seven years of a new interconnection agreement and then updated every three years. Compare those daytime credits with what grid power costs: the average Hawaii residential electricity price was 42.86 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2024, per the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Exporting at noon earns a fraction of what that same energy is worth used at home, which is why export systems increasingly pair with batteries that hold solar for evening use or evening export.
What Are the Real Design Differences Between Export and Non-Export?
The real design differences between export and non-export systems show up in approval, sizing, equipment, and compensation. Here is how they compare for a typical Hawaii home:
- Utility review: non-export qualifies for expedited review even on voltage-constrained circuits; export systems go through standard review, which can take longer where the local grid is crowded
- System sizing: a non-export array is sized to what the home and battery can absorb; an export array can be sized larger when the roof and credits justify it
- Battery role: a battery is close to essential for non-export value; for export, it is optional but shifts energy into the higher-value evening hours
- Compensation: non-export earns no credits and saves money only by offsetting purchases; export adds time-based credits
- Controls: non-export requires sensors and inverter settings that prevent backfeed; export systems use advanced inverter settings required for grid support
- Battery incentives: Hawaiian Electric’s Bring Your Own Device Plus program is compatible with both designs
The choice of equipment shapes all of this. Our Inverters & Monitoring page covers the inverters and controls ProVision Solar installs, including the monitoring that shows exactly where your energy goes each day.
When Does Non-Export Make the Most Sense?
A non-export solar system makes sense when fast approval, heavy daytime use, or battery storage already points toward keeping power at home. It is often the smart call in these situations:
- Constrained circuits: neighborhoods where many homes already have solar and export applications face limits or delays
- Daytime households: homes with retirees, remote workers, or daytime air conditioning that use most production as it happens
- Battery-first designs: homes pairing solar with a battery sized to absorb the midday surplus
- Low daytime credit islands: on Maui, where daytime exports earn 6.6 cents, sending surplus to the grid adds little value
Export tends to win for larger roofs, homes empty during the day without storage, and battery owners who want to dispatch energy into the evening peak. Former Customer Self-Supply customers, a program that closed to new participants on March 29, 2024, per Hawaiian Electric, have the option to transition to Non-Export. Most new designs pair either path with a Tesla Powerwall Installation, and we model both programs during every Residential Solar Installation before recommending one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a battery for a non-export solar system?
A battery is not strictly required, but it is strongly recommended. Without storage, any solar production the home cannot use at that moment is curtailed and lost. A battery captures the midday surplus for evening use, which is where most of a non-export system’s savings come from in Hawaii.
Does a non-export system get approved faster in Hawaii?
Often, yes. Hawaiian Electric states that non-export systems are eligible for expedited review and approval even in areas with existing voltage limitations, because they do not send energy onto the grid. Actual timelines still depend on application completeness and utility workload.
What happens to extra solar power in a non-export system?
Extra solar power first charges the battery. If the battery is full and the home is not using the power, the inverter reduces panel output so nothing flows to the grid. This curtailment is why sizing the array and battery together matters.
Can I switch from non-export to export later?
Changing programs generally requires a new application and utility review, and export approval depends on conditions on your local circuit at that time. If you expect to want export credits in the future, discuss that possibility with your installer before choosing a design.
Choose the Design That Fits Your Grid and Your Home
A non-export solar system can be the fastest, simplest path to solar savings in Hawaii, while an export system rewards homes that produce a genuine surplus. ProVision Solar has designed island systems since 1998 and handles the Hawaiian Electric application for every customer. Contact Us Today and we will model both options against your actual usage.
Information pertaining to laws, regulations, or incentives is accurate at the time of writing this content. However, regulations and systems can change at anytime.