San Francisco-based Sunrun Inc. said Tuesday its partners in Hawaii now offer a solar-plus-energy-storage system.
SunRun said the battery-and-solar combination called Sunrun BrightBox works with Hawaiian Electric Co.’s self-supply program, which requires that homeowners not send excess energy produced by their solar systems to the grid.
Maui Electric Co. said in June that Maui solar customers who want solar have to apply for the self-supply program because the county hit the limit of the amount of rooftop solar systems that can send excess power to its grid.
Matias Besasso, co-owner of Rising Sun Solar, said he expects business to continue growing on Maui because of the solar-plus-storage option.
“We’re able to continue to grow and operate our business on Maui, Oahu and the Big Island, thanks to the Sunrun BrightBox product,” Besasso said.
Sunrun BrightBox is available at Rising Sun Solar, American Electric, RevoluSun, Alternate Energy, Island Sun Solar and LGCY Power.
VW’s $15B emissions deal clears hurdle
SAN FRANCISCO >> A nearly $15 billion settlement over Volkswagen’s emissions cheating scandal cleared a key hurdle Tuesday, with a federal judge giving preliminary approval to the deal.
The German carmaker has agreed to spend up to $10 billion buying back or repairing about 475,000 Volkswagens and Audi vehicles with 2-liter diesel engines and paying their owners an additional $5,100 to $10,000 each. It also includes $2.7 billion for unspecified environmental mitigation and an additional $2 billion to promote zero-emissions vehicles.
The judge’s decision allows attorneys to notify vehicle owners of the terms and consumers to use a settlement website to determine how much compensation they would get.
Apple’s iPhone sales continue to sag
SAN FRANCISCO >> You can expect to hear a lot more from Apple about the virtues of mobile apps and online services in coming months. And for good reason: They’re just about the only part of Apple’s business that’s growing right now.
Apps and services have always been key to the appeal of Apple products. But with iPhone sales down for the second quarter in a row — and speculation that a major redesign won’t arrive until late next year — Apple is talking up its online business, promoting it with new kinds of ads and even sponsoring an upcoming reality TV show called “Planet of the Apps.”
The giant tech company sold 40.4 million iPhones in the last quarter — 15 percent fewer than a year ago, according to its earnings report Tuesday. Analysts say consumers just aren’t as excited about the newest iPhone models. As a result, Apple’s overall revenue fell 15 percent to $42.4 billion for the three months ending June 30.
McDonald’s sales disappoint in U.S.
NEW YORK >> McDonald’s is again looking for ways to win back customers, less than a year after launching a widely touted all-day breakfast menu.
The world’s biggest burger chain said sales rose a disappointing 1.8 percent at established U.S. locations for the three months ended June 30. That’s even with the benefits from all-day breakfast, which began in October.
Japan plans $265B economic stimulus
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced plans for more than 28 trillion yen ($265 billion) in economic stimulus in an effort to prop up the economy, Kyodo News reported.
The plan will include 13 trillion yen in “fiscal measures,” according to Jiji News, without specifying what that meant. There was no report of how much of the package would be new spending. Abe, speaking in the southern city of Fukuoka today, said the package would be compiled next week, Kyodo said.
On the Move
The Queen’s Medical Center has named Dr. Rick Bruno as associate chief medical officer for the hospital. His responsibilities include assisting in oversight of medical staff services and overseeing physician credentialing and peer review. He will also help coordinate, develop and ensure proper administration of medical staff policies and serve as a liaison to the medical staff.
Vistana Signature Experiences, formerly Starwood Vacation Ownership and now an operating business of Interval Leisure Group, has announced that Angela Nolan has been appointed to area managing director, Hawaii. She will oversee all of the Vistana Signature Experiences properties in the state, including Kauai’s The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas and Maui’s The Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas and the Westin Nanea Ocean Villas, which opens in 2017.
