“I sent a plan set on a Tuesday and got the single-line back marked up with what the utility would ask. The application went in without a question.”
Naomi R.Solar installer
Solar and battery interconnect · Oahu
The electrical between your inverter and the grid
We wire the AC side of solar and battery systems, draw the single-line diagram, and carry the interconnection through to the utility's permission to operate.
Start where you are
Solar installers
- Licensed and insured in Hawaii
- Oahu only
- Written quote before work
The interconnection, in order
Six steps between the roof and the grid
Every system goes through them. Each step names who holds it.
- 01We draw it
Step 1: A single-line diagram
One page showing the panels, inverter, battery, disconnects and the point where the system meets your service. The permit and the utility both start from it.
- 02We file it
Step 2: The city electrical permit
We apply to the City and County of Honolulu's Department of Planning and Permitting with the diagram and the equipment sheets.
- 03We file it with the installer
Step 3: The utility's interconnection application
The utility reviews the design before it is built. What it asks for depends on the export program the system falls under, so we read the current rules first.
- 04We build it
Step 4: Install, then the city inspection
The AC disconnects, the battery's backup panel and the labels go in. The city inspector looks at the electrical.
- 05We send them
Step 5: Documents back to the utility
The inspection sign-off and the as-built diagram go back against the same application.
- 06The utility
Step 6: Permission to operate
The system stays off until the utility says in writing that it may switch on. Some homes get a new meter first. We tell you what the utility has said, and we cannot give you its date.
Two ways in
One set of steps, two different jobs
What changes between an installer sending a site and a homeowner adding a battery.
| Homeowners with solar | Solar installers | |
|---|---|---|
| You bring us | Homeowners with solarA system on the roof, or one on order, and a wish for backup power | Solar installersA site, the equipment list and the roof layout |
| We wire | Homeowners with solarA backup panel for the circuits you pick, and what feeds it | Solar installersThe AC side: disconnects, load center, meter socket, labels |
| The paperwork | Homeowners with solarWe draw it, file the permit and the utility application, and keep you posted | Solar installersWe draw the single-line and fill in the permit and utility forms you send us |
| Your first step | Homeowners with solarText a photo of your panel and your inverter's label | Solar installersSend a diagram or a plan set |
Built for the islands
Salt air, sun and a long run to the panel
A system on a coastal roof ages differently from one inland. We wire it for that.
Roofs here take sun, salt and wind all year. We pick enclosures, fittings and supports for that, and say what we picked on the quote.
Enclosures and fittings rated for outdoor and coastal use
Conduit and supports that do not corrode where the air is salty
Labels that stay readable in full sun
Equipment ships to the island, so lead times go in the quote
What we wire
The electrical a solar and battery job needs
We do the electrical. Your installer, or you, supply the panels, the inverter and the battery.
Backup panel for a battery
A subpanel with the circuits you chose to keep running when the grid is down.
For homeownersAC disconnects and the run
The disconnect, the conduit and the wire between the inverter, the meter and the main panel.
For installersMeter socket and service
A new socket or a bigger service when the house cannot carry the system as it stands.
What we wireThe load check
What the house draws, what the main panel can take, and where the battery should sit.
What we wireLabels and grounding
The placards the inspector and the utility look for, and a bonding check at the panel.
What we wireA returned application
We read the utility's comments, fix the diagram or the wiring, and send it back in.
The utility steps
Licensed in Hawaii
The license on the work, and what it means
The class and number are in the footer of every page, and the state's license search shows them.
License
Electrical Contractor (C-13) · HI Lic. 000000 · Hawaii Contractors License Board
The state class for electrical contracting. Look the firm up on the state license search.
What to check
Class · An electrical contractor class covers the wiring on a solar or battery job; roofing and panel mounting are separate trades.
Name and number · Search the firm's name or number on the state license search and compare it with the footer.
Sample reviews
What installers and homeowners say about the electrical side
“We added a battery to panels already on the roof. They told us which circuits it would carry and which it would not, before we signed.”
Kenneth O.Homeowner, Kailua
“The utility sent our application back with comments. They fixed the diagram, resubmitted, and texted me at every step.”
Nathan W.Homeowner, Pearl City
Sample reviews.
Service area
Where on Oahu we work
From Kapolei to Kahuku. If your address is not listed, send it and we will say.
Urban Honolulu
- Honolulu
- Kaimuki
- Manoa
Windward side
- Kailua
- Kaneohe
- Waimanalo
Central and leeward
- Aiea
- Pearl City
- Waipahu
- Mililani
- Ewa Beach
- Kapolei
North Shore and central
- Wahiawa
- Haleiwa
- Kahuku
We work on Oahu only, not on Maui, Hawaii Island or Kauai.
Questions we get before the first call
Do you install the panels or the battery?
No. We do the electrical side: the disconnects, the backup panel, the meter work and the paperwork. Your installer, or you, supply the equipment.
Who files with the utility?
Whoever the owner and the installer agree on, named on the application. We prepare the diagram and the forms either way.
How long does the utility take?
It sets its own review time, and it changes. We tell you where the application stands each time the utility updates it.
Can the system run before the utility approves it?
No. The utility's written permission to operate comes first, and we leave the system off until we have it.
What if the application comes back?
We read the comments, change the diagram or the wiring to answer them, and resubmit. The change goes in your quote before we do it.
Start with a page
Send the single-line diagram, or a photo of the panel
A diagram, a plan set, or just a photo of your main panel and your inverter's label is enough to begin.
