Sunetric
Encyclopedia
Sunetric is a Hawaii
-based residential, commercial
, and non-profit photovoltaic solar power company, and operates on all of the Hawaiian islands
. The company was founded in 2004 as Suntech Hawaii by Sean Mullen, who is majority share holder in the company. Alex Tiller is the company's CEO. The company handles system consulting, design, and installation, and remains responsible for maintenance, monitoring, and repairs.
Sunetric Capital, LLC is a separate entity that provides funding via capital investment for the Sunetric Power Plan, a Power Purchase Agreement
designed by Mullen and Tiller whereby the company pays for the up-front costs of commercial projects and acts as owner and maintainer while customers (host) pay for the electricity generated by the renewable energy system. This reduces the initial cost to the business-owner or nonprofit entity.
Sunetric's push for photovoltaic installations is of particular import to the State of Hawaii, which, despite having already reached grid parity
, relies on fuel imports for 90% of its energy needs, making it an ideal candidate for energy independence
. Photovoltaic customers in Hawaii qualify for both a 35% state tax rebate and a 30% federal tax rebate on all photovoltaic installations.
According to the Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting photovoltaic permit records, Sunetric performs, on average, the installation and activation of 40% (the majority market share) of net-metered
photovoltaic systems in Hawaii. Since its founding in 2004, the company has performed approximately 1,525 residential solar power installations and approximately 95 commercial installations, totaling over 12.5 megawatts throughout the islands.
In December 2008, Sunetric completed both the largest roof-mounted photovoltaic installation in Hawaii on top of Kona Commons shopping mall
and the second-largest solar farm in Hawaii at Wilcox Memorial Hospital on Kauai
. The Wilcox Memorial Hospital installation comprises 2,190 solar panels connected to 3 solar inverters with a rating of 504 kilowatts.
Since 2006, the company has installed more than 2 megawatts of photovoltaic systems for military bases in Hawaii, including Schofield Barracks, Fort Shafter
, Hickam AFB, Bellows AFB, and Aliamanu Military Reservation. The company is responsible for a photovoltaic system used to power the hydrogen fuel cell plant at Hickam Air Force Base
.
In September 2010, Sunetric partnered with national solar electricity company SunRun
to offer an expanded Power Purchase Agreement
to Hawaii homeowners, whereby homeowners pay for electricity usage but do not buy solar panels outright, reducing the initial out-of-pocket expense. This partnership, new to Hawaii, makes the state the seventh in which SunRun operates.
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
-based residential, commercial
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
, and non-profit photovoltaic solar power company, and operates on all of the Hawaiian islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
. The company was founded in 2004 as Suntech Hawaii by Sean Mullen, who is majority share holder in the company. Alex Tiller is the company's CEO. The company handles system consulting, design, and installation, and remains responsible for maintenance, monitoring, and repairs.
Sunetric Capital, LLC is a separate entity that provides funding via capital investment for the Sunetric Power Plan, a Power Purchase Agreement
Power Purchase Agreement
Power Purchase Agreements are contracts between two parties, one who generates electricity for the purpose of sale and one who is looking to purchase electricity . There are various forms of Power Purchase Agreements; these are differentiated by the source of energy harnessed...
designed by Mullen and Tiller whereby the company pays for the up-front costs of commercial projects and acts as owner and maintainer while customers (host) pay for the electricity generated by the renewable energy system. This reduces the initial cost to the business-owner or nonprofit entity.
Sunetric's push for photovoltaic installations is of particular import to the State of Hawaii, which, despite having already reached grid parity
Grid parity
Grid parity is the point at which alternative means of generating electricity is at least as cheap as grid power.For solar energy, it is achieved first in areas with abundant sun and high costs for electricity such as in California, Hawaii, Spain and Japan. Many solar power advocates predict that...
, relies on fuel imports for 90% of its energy needs, making it an ideal candidate for energy independence
Energy independence
The following articles relate to the topic of energy independence:* Energy resilience* Energy security* North American energy independence* Swedish Commission on Oil Independence* United States energy independence...
. Photovoltaic customers in Hawaii qualify for both a 35% state tax rebate and a 30% federal tax rebate on all photovoltaic installations.
According to the Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting photovoltaic permit records, Sunetric performs, on average, the installation and activation of 40% (the majority market share) of net-metered
Net metering
Net metering is an electricity policy for consumers who own renewable energy facilities or V2G electric vehicles. "Net", in this context, is used in the sense of meaning "what remains after deductions" — in this case, the deduction of any energy outflows from metered energy inflows...
photovoltaic systems in Hawaii. Since its founding in 2004, the company has performed approximately 1,525 residential solar power installations and approximately 95 commercial installations, totaling over 12.5 megawatts throughout the islands.
In December 2008, Sunetric completed both the largest roof-mounted photovoltaic installation in Hawaii on top of Kona Commons shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
and the second-largest solar farm in Hawaii at Wilcox Memorial Hospital on Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
. The Wilcox Memorial Hospital installation comprises 2,190 solar panels connected to 3 solar inverters with a rating of 504 kilowatts.
Since 2006, the company has installed more than 2 megawatts of photovoltaic systems for military bases in Hawaii, including Schofield Barracks, Fort Shafter
Fort Shafter
Fort Shafter is in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawai‘i, extending up the interfluve between Kalihi and Moanalua valleys, as well as onto the coastal plain at Māpunapuna. Fort Shafter is the headquarters of the United States Army Pacific Command, the MACOM of U.S. Army forces in...
, Hickam AFB, Bellows AFB, and Aliamanu Military Reservation. The company is responsible for a photovoltaic system used to power the hydrogen fuel cell plant at Hickam Air Force Base
Hickam Air Force Base
Hickam Field, re-named Hickam Air Force Base in 1948, was a United States Air Force facility now part of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, named in honor of aviation pioneer Lt Col Horace Meek Hickam.- History :...
.
In September 2010, Sunetric partnered with national solar electricity company SunRun
SunRun
SunRun Inc. is a United States-based provider of residential solar electricity, headquartered in San Francisco, California. The company operates in ten states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Oregon. SunRun was co-founded in...
to offer an expanded Power Purchase Agreement
Power Purchase Agreement
Power Purchase Agreements are contracts between two parties, one who generates electricity for the purpose of sale and one who is looking to purchase electricity . There are various forms of Power Purchase Agreements; these are differentiated by the source of energy harnessed...
to Hawaii homeowners, whereby homeowners pay for electricity usage but do not buy solar panels outright, reducing the initial out-of-pocket expense. This partnership, new to Hawaii, makes the state the seventh in which SunRun operates.