A Maui solar company is selling home solar-plus-battery systems as protection against storm outages and a way to cut electric bills, which matters for Hawaii homeowners now that the federal solar tax credit for individuals is gone.

• Hurricane-season storms have knocked out power across Hawaii, driving interest in home battery backup that keeps the lights on overnight.
• The federal tax credit for homeowners who buy solar has ended, so new deals lean on third-party ownership, where a company owns and maintains the panels and batteries.
• Under that setup, homeowners pay half as much per unit of electricity as they do to HECO, with savings of up to 35% taken upfront instead of at tax time.
• The catch is a 25-year contract with the system owner, though service and repairs are included.
• Installation takes two to three months from signing to a working system.

Outlook: Expect more Hawaii solar sales to shift to long-term leases and third-party ownership as companies work around the lost federal credit.