Kauai Island Utility Cooperative and solar
Kauai Island Utility Cooperative is an electric cooperative serving about 30,335 homes in Hawaii. Here's what its rates and export rules mean for solar: for a typical customer, solar is worth it.
- Average price (2026 est.)
- 41.4¢5% below Hawaii average
- Typical bill
- $229553 kWh a month
- Exports credited
- ~33%Net billing (reduced export credit)
- Typical payback
- 7 yrs3.4 kW, cash
Export rules for Kauai Island Utility Cooperative customers
Net billing (reduced export credit) (Hawaii rule).
Hawaiian Electric ended net metering for new customers in 2015. New systems use the Smart DER tariff, which pays time-varying rates for exports: on Oahu about 13.5 cents midday, 18.9 cents overnight and 32.9 cents in the 5-9 pm peak. Because midday exports earn the least, most new systems include batteries. A battery program (BYOD) adds upfront and monthly payments.
Solar for a typical Kauai Island Utility Cooperative home
| System | 3.4 kW (79% of 553 kWh/month) |
|---|---|
| Cost | $15,400, $10,400 after incentives |
| First-year savings | $1,482 |
| Payback | 7.0 years |
| 25-year net | $36,227 |
Uses the utility's average price.
Solar adoption
- Homes with solar (2025)
- 6,221
- Share of customers
- 20.5%
- Residential solar capacity
- 29 MW
- Residential customers
- 30,335
EIA-861, 2025.
Questions about Kauai Island Utility Cooperative and solar
Does Kauai Island Utility Cooperative have net metering?
Kauai Island Utility Cooperative follows Hawaii's rules: Hawaiian Electric ended net metering for new customers in 2015. New systems use the Smart DER tariff, which pays time-varying rates for exports: on Oahu about 13.5 cents midday, 18.9 cents overnight and 32.9 cents in the 5-9 pm peak. Because midday exports earn the least, most new systems include batteries. A battery program (BYOD) adds upfront and monthly payments.
How much does electricity cost with Kauai Island Utility Cooperative?
Residential customers paid an average of 38.4¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA), about 41.4¢ adjusted to 2026. The typical home uses 553 kWh a month, a bill of about $229.
Is solar worth it with Kauai Island Utility Cooperative?
For a typical customer, solar is worth it: a 3.4 kW system costing about $10,400 pays back in about 7 years, with $36,227 net over 25 years.
How many Kauai Island Utility Cooperative customers have solar?
About 6,221 homes had net-metered solar at the end of 2025, roughly 20.5% of residential customers (EIA-861).
Legal name: Kauai Island Utility Cooperative (EIA ID 10071). Data: EIA-861 2025 and monthly data through 2026, state policy research October 2026.