KUIC (Kauai Island Utility Cooperative) said it filed a proposal with the state Public Utilities Commission that would provide customers with two new options to receive credit when installing a solar system.
KIUC proposes to revise its current Schedule Q program by which the utility pays customers for the excess power they generate and create two new options - customers self-supply and smart export. The customer self-supply program would allow customers to install a solar photovoltaic system or a PV system connected to a battery storage system to offset some or all of their energy needs, the utility said. However, customers would not be allowed to export excess energy back to the gird. The smart expert program on the other hand provides customers with the opportunity to get compensated for sending excess energy back to the grid during times when KIUC deems it valuable - meaning when there is high energy demand.
"Changes in policy are necessary due to the extremely high penetration of solar resources during daylight hours,” KIUC President and CEO David Bissell said in a statement. “Daytime export is no longer feasible when there isn’t adequate load to support it. This proposal could pave the way for more export in a way that benefits all KIUC members and the grid as a whole.” Other options under consideration for future rate changes, according to Bissell, include, among other things, a potential fixed charge for grid connection paid by all members. KIUC said roughly 3,700 customers currently have solar PV systems on their homes or businesses on the Garden Isle, comprising about 20 megawatts of total power provided to the grid.