Electricity utilities on Oahu, Kauai and Maui ranked among the top 10 power companies nationwide for the amount of solar photovoltaic generating capacity installed last year on a per capita basis, an industry trade group reported Monday.

Kauai Island Utility Cooperative was second on the list, with 282 watts of PV installed in 2012, according to the Solar Electric Power Association. The Oahu operations of Hawaiian Electric Co. ranked fourth with 230 watts of PV per capita. Maui Electric Co., a subsidiary of HECO, was sixth with 198 watts per capita.

HECO’s Oahu operations also ranked 10th highest in total PV installations, with 65 megawatts of generating capacity.

"Working with providers of utility-scale solar and rooftop solar, the Hawaiian Electric companies have seen solar power on our grids double annually for five years," said Scott Seu, HECO vice president for energy solutions and operations.

"National recognition is welcome, but our main goal is to help our customers who want to take advantage of solar on homes and businesses to be knowledgeable and make wise decisions, as we expect this boom to continue."

Hawaii has long been a leader in solar water heating as well as solar photovoltaic installations. In 2012, cumulative installations of PV systems on Hawaiian Electric’s various grids totaled 172 megawatts of solar capacity.