Last year (2013) was a big one for rooftop solar power system installations in Hawaii. Thanks to the installation of more than 17 thousand solar power units, more than 129 megawatts of capacity were added to the Hawaiian, Maui and Hawaii Electric Light Company grids. While this may not seem like a whole lot to the average person, it is essentially a 39% increase over what was added in 2012.
A net metering program was initiated in 2001 with the goal of encouraging homes and businesses to adopt rooftop solar power system panels. The sudden growth in this program has now created a situation in which neighborhood circuits contain large amounts of PV systems and produce more energy than they use. According to HELCO President Jay Ignacio, 10% of the circuits on Hawaii Island have reached this saturation point. HELCO now has to tell people who want to install solar panels that they will have to wait.
Too much energy in the circuit can cause damage to electronic equipment, so while solar power is a responsible choice, apparently there is such a concept as too much of a good thing. Even when utilizing the power of the sun to cut down on generated electricity use, safety must come first.
While making people wait to install solar panels, HELCO and other utility companies are searching for a solution that will eliminate the circuit saturation problem. They are considering battery banks and other ideas for storing the power and making it available as needed.