Oʻahu and Maui County and Hawaiʻi Island customers, Hawaii · Loan
GEM$ Clean Energy Loan Program: Homeowner-Owned Solar + Storage
Run by Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority (HGIA), with participating CDFIs
On-bill financing from Hawaiʻi's green bank for low- and moderate-income homeowners installing solar PV with battery storage: up to 25 years at a fixed 5.5%, repaid on your Hawaiian Electric bill, plus a subsidy of $10,000 or $5,000 depending on income.
Amounts
How much you get
A loan of up to 25 years at a fixed 5.5% a year, repaid as a program charge on your monthly electric bill and tied to the meter, plus a one-time subsidy (first come, first served, while funds last) that buys down the system cost or pays for approved ancillary work: $10,000 for household income below 80% of area median income (AMI), $5,000 for 80% to under 140% AMI. The amount depends on which of these fits your install.
| What you install | You get |
|---|---|
| Household income below 80% AMISubsidy | $10,000 |
| Household income 80% to under 140% AMISubsidy | $5,000 |
Eligibility
Do I qualify?
You need to meet all 6 of these.
Total annual gross household income, counting all household members, must be less than 140% of HHFDC's area median income.
You must be a Hawaiian Electric, Maui Electric or Hawaii Electric Light customer with at least 6 months of history with the utility.
Homeowners must own the solar system. The electric account holder applies, along with every adult in the household and everyone on the title.
The project must be a new solar + storage installation.
What to doHave your contractor design a solar PV system that includes battery storage.
The contractor must be a GEM$ Enrolled Contractor.
What to doChoose a contractor from HGIA's list of GEM$ Enrolled Contractors.
The estimated electric bill after installation must show savings: at least 5% with no disconnection notices, 10% with 1 to 4 notices, 15% with 5 or more.
What to doWork with your contractor to size the system so the estimated bill savings meet the threshold.
Equipment
What equipment counts
Applying
How to apply
You apply online. Subsidies are first come, first served while funding lasts, for eligible applications received beginning October 21, 2026. Get approved before you buy anything.
- Apply through a participating CDFI.
The person named on the electric bill applies first (currently through Hawaiian Council), with tax returns; every other adult in the household and anyone else on the title also applies. Getting your utility documents takes about 2 weeks.
- Get Step 1 approval.
HGIA's partner confirms income, utility history and other applicant eligibility.
- Pick a GEM$ Enrolled Contractor.
The contractor designs a solar + storage system for your usage and submits the cost, size and equipment.
- Get Step 2 approval.
The project is underwritten to confirm it meets the minimum estimated bill savings. Don't start work before approval and the notice to proceed.
- Sign documents and install.
After all documents (including a certificate of insurance naming the CDFI as mortgagee) are signed, the contractor gets a notice to proceed. The CDFI pays the contractor after the system is installed and interconnected.
- Repay on your electric bill.
The payment appears on your monthly Hawaiian Electric bill.
Valid government-issued ID
Most recent federal tax return with all schedules and K-1s
Most recent electric bill
Green Button usage data
DHHL lease, if applicable
Name and contact information of all other people on the title
Forms and instructionsContact Us (HGIA) · Green Energy Money $aver Programs (HGIA)
Questions about applying(808) 587-3868
Stacking
Use it with
HGIA notes system owners may also be eligible for state tax benefits; consult a tax advisor.
All of Hawaii
Renewable Energy Technologies Income Tax Credit (RETITC)
Up to $5,000
Hawaiʻi state income tax credit for solar water heaters, solar PV and wind systems you own: 35% of cost for solar (up to $5,000 per PV system or $2,250 per solar water heater on a single-family home) and 20% for wind. A $40 million yearly statewide cap and new income limits apply under Act 24, and the credit ends after 2029.
Checked Oct 27, 2026
Your address
Next steps
Check that it covers your address. This program has to approve you before you buy anything, so start with the program, not a contractor quote.
Is it available at your address?
Before anything else
Choose a contractor from HGIA's list of GEM$ Enrolled Contractors.
Your quote request is in If a contractor we work with serves your ZIP, they can contact you. We take one request per person; contact us to change it.
Get an email if this program changes
We'll write if its amount, status or deadline changes. Nothing else.
FAQ
Questions
How much does GEM$ Clean Energy Loan Program: Homeowner-Owned Solar + Storage pay?
$5,000 to $10,000, depending on what you install. The table under How much you get lists each amount.
Do I need to be a Oʻahu, Maui County or Hawaiʻi Island customer?
Yes. It’s only for homes in Oʻahu and Maui County and Hawaiʻi Island customers, Hawaii. See Do I qualify for the details.
Is there an income limit?
Total annual gross household income, counting all household members, must be less than 140% of HHFDC's area median income.
Do renters qualify?
Homeowners must own the solar system. The electric account holder applies, along with every adult in the household and everyone on the title.
Do I have to use a contractor?
Yes. The contractor must be a GEM$ Enrolled Contractor.
Do I need approval before I buy?
Yes. Apply before you buy or install anything; purchases made first don’t qualify.
What’s the deadline?
No fixed deadline. Apply any time while it’s open.
Can I combine it with other rebates?
Yes, with Renewable Energy Technologies Income Tax Credit (RETITC). See Use it with.
Is it still available?
Yes. It was open when we last checked, on October 27, 2026.
Plain words
Words used on this page
- AMI
- Area median income: the middle household income where you live, set each year by HUD.
References
Sources
This page is built from these official pages, run by the program itself.
- Homeowner-Owned Solar Applications, GEM$ Clean Energy Loan Program (HGIA)
- Contact Us (HGIA)
- Green Energy Money $aver Programs (HGIA)
When one of these pages changes, we re-check this page against it.
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