Hawaii Energy Connection completes 1 000 battery installations across Hawaiian homes

Hawaii Energy Connection (HEC), operating under its KumuKit™ brand, has reached a significant milestone by completing 1,000 residential battery installations across Hawaiian homes. This accomplishment comes as regulators examine potential ways for residential batteries to contribute to the electric grid. FranklinWH, the company behind the installation, has now integrated 1,800 aPower battery units in over 1,000 Hawaiian homes, averaging nearly two units per household.

This surge in demand is attributed to homeowners seeking increased energy storage capacity. The milestone coincides with Oahu regulators moving forward with a virtual power plant (VPP) program that could compensate homeowners for the power their batteries send to the grid. If approved, utilities could harness thousands of home batteries simultaneously, akin to drawing power from a traditional power plant.

The FranklinWH System, a whole-home energy management and storage solution, combines battery storage, intelligent energy management, and solar integration to enable homeowners to better manage their electricity use, providing whole-home energy during peak hours and backup power during outages while allowing storage capacity to expand as energy needs grow.

Vincent Ambrose, FranklinWH's chief commercial officer, remarked that Hawaii's battery market has moved beyond the early adopters, with families increasingly seeking energy independence and the opportunity to be compensated for sending stored energy to the grid. HEC's achievement underscores the growing interest among Hawaii homeowners in battery storage, driven by high electricity costs and concerns about outages, severe weather, and grid reliability across the islands.

Chris DeBone, co-founder of Hawaii Energy Connection, emphasized the trust families have placed in the company to assist them in making informed decisions about their energy needs, highlighting the company's commitment to providing top-notch service and product quality. Despite Hawaii boasting the highest per capita rooftop solar installation in the nation, with over 1 gigawatt of residential solar and approximately 410 megawatts of battery storage, less than 16 percent of these batteries are currently participating in grid-supporting programs.

This presents a substantial untapped capacity that could aid in meeting current and future energy demands. Nationwide, residential battery adoption is on the rise, with 45 percent of new residential solar installations now incorporating battery storage, fueled by demand for backup power, energy management, and participation in grid-supporting programs.