Solar permits issued in the state plunged 12% during the first half of the year.

There were 2,019 permits for solar electric systems through June compared with 2,269 issued in the year-earlier period.

Only Kauai saw an increase with the number of photovoltaic permits issued jumping 75% to 215 from 123, according to Marco Mangelsdorf, who tracks rooftop solar permits and is president of Hilo-based ProVision Solar.

On Oahu the Department of Planning and Permitting issued 1,242 PV permits, a decline of 8% from 1,352 in the year-ago period.

For Hawaii Island the electrical department issued 371 PV permits, a drop of 28% from 513 during the same period in 2018.

And for Maui County there were 191 PV permits issued through midyear, a 32% drop from 281 a year earlier.

The No. 1 residential solar electric player in the state, California- based Sunrun, endured a steep falloff through midyear in its two principal markets of Oahu and Hawaii island with declines of 60% and 55%, respectively, according to Mangelsdorf.

While Sunrun lost market share on Oahu and Hawaii island, the number of PV permits issued to Sunrun actually increased on Oahu and Hawaii island by 19% and 23%, respectively. That means the rest of the solar field expanded as Sunrun shrank.

As far as energy storage deployment, 75% of PV permits on Oahu included batteries while 60% did so on the Big Island. Tesla’s Powerwall and LG Chem’s RESU dominated the market.

ON THE MOVE

>> Tori Richard Ltd. has hired Mike Osorio as vice president, retail. He was previously president of organizational change and effectiveness with 3Sixty Duty Free. Osorio’s experience in luxury retail also includes 10 years at DFS Group Ltd. and positions at Harry & David, Gottschaik’s and Macy’s.