Hawaii Solar Energy Association

What Hawaii Solar Energy Association does

The Hawaii Solar Energy Association (HSEA) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association founded in 1977 and headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii, that operates across the Hawaiian Islands to advance solar energy and energy storage adoption. The organization functions as the state's primary industry association for the solar sector, convening an ecosystem of licensed solar installers and contractors, equipment manufacturers, financiers, cleantech innovators, and licensed design professionals (engineers and architects). Its core deliverables are not commercial products but membership-based advocacy, education, and networking services, with the annual SolarExpo conference as its flagship event and a published "Solar News" content channel for policy updates.

HSEA's business model combines recurring and event-based revenue streams: annual membership dues from industry professionals, tiered SolarExpo sponsorships (Exhibitor $1,500 to Gigawatt $5,500 for members; $3,000 to $11,000 for non-members), pay-as-you-go workshop and training fees ($250 per hour to $750 for three-hour sessions), and PayPal-processed donations (noted as non-tax-deductible). The association's primary go-to-market motion is community-led: recruitment occurs through referral networks, the SolarExpo, an annual general membership meeting, content marketing on hsea.org, and earned media placements in outlets such as the Honolulu Star Advertiser, Hawaii Public Radio, and Hawaii News Now.

HSEA monetizes its 501(c)(6) lobbying authority by engaging directly with Hawaii's elected officials and regulators on rooftop solar, energy storage, permitting reform, consumer protection, and tax credit policy. Its strategic agenda is tightly coupled to state-level policy milestones — notably Governor Josh Green's Executive Order No. 25-01 (January 2025), which targets 50,000 distributed renewable energy installations by 2030 and 100% renewable standards for neighbor islands by 2035. The organization is led by Executive Director Robert R. (Rocky) Mould, President Brian Gold, and a board of directors, and operates with 11-50 employees.

Name

Hawaii Solar Energy Association

Legal name

Hawaii Solar Energy Association

Website

https://hsea.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HSEA is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association founded in 1977 in Honolulu that advocates for, educates, and connects Hawaii's solar and energy storage industry — serving installers, manufacturers, financiers, and cleantech innovators across the Hawaiian Islands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Solar Development & Subscription Management (EUAMAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

HSE, Quality & Regulatory Compliance for Renewable Operations (Permits, Inspections, Reporting) (EUAMAGAL)

Keywords

• Solar industry advocacy
• Renewable energy association
• Solar trade association
• Energy storage networking
• Solar industry education

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: HSEA generates revenue through annual membership dues from solar industry professionals, installers, equipment manufacturers, cleantech innovators, and financiers. Membership provides access to advocacy, education, networking, and industry resources.
2. Solar Expo Sponsorships: The annual Solar Expo generates revenue through sponsorship tiers at various levels (Exhibitor, Kilowatt, Megawatt, Gigawatt) with differentiated pricing for members versus non-members.
3. Workshop and Training Fees: HSEA charges fees for workshop and training sessions at the annual Solar Expo, with hourly rates ranging from $250 for one-hour sessions to $750 for three-hour sessions.
4. Donations: HSEA accepts donations, though they note that donations are not tax-deductible at this time.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hawaii Solar Energy Association (HSEA) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association founded in 1977 that serves as the unified industry voice for Hawaii's solar and energy storage sector. It provides advocacy, education, and networking services to its members, including solar installers, equipment manufacturers, financiers, cleantech innovators, and design professionals. The association engages directly in lobbying elected and government officials and hosts the annual SolarExpo conference along with workshops and training programs.

Product overview

Hawaii Solar Energy Association (HSEA) is a non-profit trade association, not a product company. It does not offer commercial products or services in the traditional sense. Rather, HSEA provides membership-based advocacy, education, and networking services to advance solar energy and energy storage solutions across the Hawaiian Islands. Its activities include legislative advocacy, industry education through workshops and the annual SolarExpo event, and policy initiatives related to rooftop solar, energy storage, grid resilience, and consumer protection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA): National solar trade association. Operates as the U.S. industry umbrella body for solar, deploying advocacy, research, and events at a federal scale. HSEA coordinates with and is frequently cited alongside SEIA on Hawaiian solar issues, making SEIA the closest broad-incumbent peer.
• American Clean Power Association (ACP): National trade association for the clean energy industry, spanning wind, solar, and storage at utility scale. A broader incumbent peer that competes for utility-scale and storage member engagement that overlaps with HSEA's manufacturer and financier segments.

Direct peers

• California Solar & Storage Association (CALSSA): State-level solar and storage trade association serving California installers, manufacturers, and financiers. Operates the same member-driven advocacy + education + event model as HSEA, making it the most structurally comparable direct peer at greater scale.
• New York Solar Energy Industries Association (NYSEIA): New York state solar trade association providing advocacy, member services, and events to installers, financiers, and manufacturers. Direct peer in business model, member segmentation, and state-level lobbying focus, in a larger but adjacent state market.
• Texas Solar Power Association: State-level solar trade association serving Texas's distributed and utility-scale solar market. Direct peer in mission, structure, and revenue model (dues, sponsorships, events), and frequently referenced as a comparable state-level trade body.
• Florida Solar Energy Industries Association (FLASEIA): Florida state solar trade association representing installers, manufacturers, and financiers in the residential, commercial, and utility-scale markets. Closely mirrors HSEA's installer/manufacturer/financier member mix and state advocacy approach.

Emerging players

• Vote Solar: Non-profit solar advocacy organisation active across multiple U.S. states including Hawaii, focused on policy campaigns and ratepayer advocacy. Comparable in advocacy/education function and overlapping membership base, but operates as a non-lobbying 501(c)(3) advocacy group rather than a 501(c)(6) trade body.
• Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC): Non-profit focused on regulatory frameworks, training, and credentialing for renewable energy. Overlaps with HSEA's education and permitting compliance work, though IREC operates nationally and emphasises workforce credentialing programs rather than direct lobbying.
• Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA): Non-profit focused on the integration of solar, storage, and grid modernisation. Overlaps with HSEA's storage and grid resilience advocacy, but oriented toward utility-side engagement rather than installer/manufacturer members.
• Solar United Neighbors: U.S. solar advocacy non-profit that organises consumers and rooftop solar adopters. Comparable in advocacy function and consumer-protection messaging, but member base is consumers rather than industry, complementing rather than directly competing with HSEA.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gosolarhawaii
• Facebookfacebook.com/HawaiiSolarEnergyAssociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hawaii-solar-energy-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hawaii Solar Energy Association