People get confused by SRE and BYOD+ because they assume they have to pick one. You do not. They are not competing programs. They do different things, they pay you in different ways, and most homeowners with solar and a battery should be enrolled in both.
Here is what each one actually does and how they work together.
Side by Side
| SRE Export | BYOD+ | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Credits you for solar energy exported to the grid | Pays you for allowing HECO to dispatch your battery during peaks |
| Requires | Solar PV system | Battery storage (5 kWh+) |
| Payment type | Export credits on your bill ($/kWh) | Upfront lump sum ($400/kW) |
| Oahu peak rate | $0.329/kWh (5–9pm) | N/A — fixed upfront payment |
| Commitment | 7-year locked rate | 5-year participation agreement |
| Battery required? | No (but highly recommended) | Yes |
| Can use both? | Yes | Yes |
SRE Export: Getting Paid for Your Extra Electricity
SRE Export is HECO's current interconnection program for new solar installations.[1] When your system produces more than your home needs, the excess flows to the grid and HECO credits you on your bill. Simple enough. The wrinkle is that the credit rate changes depending on the time of day.
Daytime exports (9am to 5pm) earn $0.135 per kWh. That is the lowest rate, and ironically it is when most solar-only systems do all their exporting. Peak evening exports (5pm to 9pm) earn $0.329 per kWh — nearly 2.5 times more. Overnight exports (9pm to 9am) fall in the middle at $0.189 per kWh.[2] These rates lock in for 7 years from your interconnection date.
The math is obvious once you see it. Exporting a kilowatt-hour at 5pm is worth almost two and a half times what it is worth at noon. A battery lets you store your midday solar and release it during that peak window. Without a battery, you are selling electricity at the cheapest rate and buying it back at the most expensive one. With a battery, you flip the equation.
BYOD+: Getting Paid to Share Your Battery
BYOD+ is a completely separate program.[3] You let HECO remotely dispatch energy from your battery for 2 hours during a peak demand window that you select. In return, HECO writes you a check upfront.
For a Tesla Powerwall 3 with 11.5 kW continuous output, the standard payment is 11.5 kW times $400 per kW — that is $4,600 in your pocket before the system has generated a single kilowatt-hour.[3] If you qualify as a low-to-moderate income household, there is an additional $400/kW adder that doubles the payment to $9,200.[4] The commitment is 5 years, with HECO dispatching your battery for 2 hours per day during your chosen window. A 20% backup reserve is always maintained so your battery still protects you during outages.[3]
A Typical Day Running Both Programs
Here is what actually happens in a 24-hour cycle for a homeowner with a 10 kW solar system and one Powerwall 3 enrolled in both SRE and BYOD+.
Morning, 9am to noon. Your panels wake up and start powering the house. Whatever the house does not need goes straight into the Powerwall. By midday, your home is running on free electricity and the battery is charging fast.
Afternoon, noon to 5pm. The Powerwall hits full charge. From this point on, every extra watt your panels produce exports to the grid at the SRE daytime rate of $0.135 per kWh. Not the best rate, but it is energy you would otherwise waste.
Peak evening, 5pm to 7pm. HECO dispatches your battery under BYOD+ for 2 hours. This is the grid services portion — the part you already got paid $4,600 for up front.
Late evening, 7pm to 9pm. Whatever battery capacity remains powers your home or exports at the SRE peak rate of $0.329 per kWh. This is the highest-value window on your bill.
Overnight, the sun is down and the battery is depleted. Your home draws from the grid at standard rates. The cycle starts again at sunrise.
Which Configuration Fits Your Situation
Solar Only, No Battery
SRE Export only. Your excess solar exports during the day at $0.135/kWh. No BYOD+ eligibility without a battery. Still cuts your bill dramatically, but you are leaving money on the table by exporting at the lowest rate window.
Solar + Battery
Both SRE and BYOD+. This is the maximum-return configuration — peak rate arbitrage through SRE plus the $4,600+ upfront BYOD+ payment. It is the most popular setup we install, and for good reason.
Battery Retrofit (Existing Solar)
Adding a battery to an existing system opens up BYOD+. If you are on legacy NEM, you keep those credits and add BYOD+ income. If you are already on SRE, you gain peak-rate shifting plus the upfront payment.
Still Not Sure?
Our HECO Program Navigator walks you through the options based on your specific situation — existing solar or new, battery or no battery, which legacy program you might be on. Or contact us for a free consultation where we model both programs against your actual electric bill and show you exactly what each option is worth in dollars per month.
Sources & References
- Hawaiian Electric Smart Renewable Energy (SRE) Export program — eligibility, terms, and application process. Hawaiian Electric
- Hawaiian Electric time-of-use export credit rates by island — daytime, peak, and overnight rate schedules. Hawaiian Electric
- Hawaiian Electric Bring Your Own Device (BYOD+) program — payment structure, dispatch terms, and backup reserve requirements. Hawaiian Electric
- Hawaiian Electric BYOD+ low-to-moderate income adder details. Hawaiian Electric
- Hawaii solar programs overview and renewable energy policy. SEIA
- Hawaii Energy rebates and incentives for battery storage and energy efficiency. Hawaii Energy