Enphase Energy’s S-Series microinverter systems comply with the new solar photovoltaic (PV) grid-supply and self-supply tariffs issued by the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission.Enphase’s smart inverters are qualified by the Hawaiian Electric Companiesunder the terms of the new rooftop solar requirements, which take effect January 1, 2016.
For Hawaii to meet its goal of getting 100% of its energy from renewable sources by 2045, intelligent inverters like the Enphase system will play a critical role in transforming the utility grid and facilitating the sustainable development of an interconnected distributed energy resources (DER) network. In order to comply with the new tariffs, inverters must be equipped with advanced functions that can help mitigate the effects of large amounts of solar on grid reliability, including limiting the export of excess solar energy to the grid.
“Enphase’s technology enables grid operators like Hawaiian Electric to harness the intelligence of distributed energy resources to maintain system stability as solar and other distributed energy resource penetration levels increase,” said Raghu Belur, cofounder and vice president of products and strategic initiatives at Enphase. “Our smart grid solution offers economic benefits, advanced capabilities and control for the consumer as well as flexibility and control for utilities.”
Enphase continues to work with Hawaiian Electric in its efforts to keep the grid stable and reliable as unprecedented amounts of solar are brought online. Earlier this year, the company provided a highly detailed analysis of neighborhood-level grid conditions on Oahu that enabled the utility to clear its backlog queue of new solar customers awaiting interconnection approval. Enphase also remotely upgraded tens of thousands of PV systems on Oahu to help better integrate solar PV into the island grid.
In addition, Enphase is a founding member of the Distributed Energy Resources Council of Hawaii (DERC Hawaii), which is a collaboration between distributed energy resource and smart grid companies committed to developing constructive paths toward an affordable, reliable and sustainable energy supply on the islands.
Enphase will be introducing an energy storage system into the Hawaiian market in 2016 that leverages the advanced functions of Enphase’s new microinverters, resulting in a smart, cost-effective solar-plus-storage home energy solution (HES).