Bill regarding residential solar systems advances

A bill that would make installing residential solar systems easier passed a Hawaii County Council committee Tuesday, albeit not without changes.

Puna Councilman Matt Kaneali‘i-Kleinfelder introduced a bill to the council’s Policy Committee on Planning, Land Use and Development that would remove a restriction in the county code that requires any residential photovoltaic system, of any size, to be approved by a licensed electrical engineer.

Under Kaneali‘i-Kleinfelder’s bill, that requirement would be waived for PV systems generating 30 kilowatts or less. This would bring the county in line with the other counties, none of which require a licensed engineer’s approval for 30-kilowatt systems.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Steve Pause, director of the Department of Public Works, said he is in support of the measure, but added that setting the threshold at 10 kilowatts would be more appropriate, because, he said, PV systems “get a little bit more complicated” above that level.

Generally, Pause said, about 85% of the residential solar applications sent in to DPW are 10 kilowatts or smaller.

Kaneali‘i-Kleinfelder said the 30-kilowatt threshold was chosen because it matches how the other counties manage the issue. However, he introduced an amendment to reduce the threshold to 10 kilowatts.

The committee unanimously gave a favorable recommendation to the amended bill and forwarded it to the full council for consideration.