The number of photovoltaic permits issued in Honolulu County more than doubled in November from the year-earlier period, according to data compiled by Marco Mangelsdorf, who tracks rooftop solar permits and is president of Pro Vision Solar.

There were 775 permits issued by the City and County of Honolulu compared with 314 in November 2018.

Through the first 11 months, there were 3,792 permits issued, up 46% from 2,597 in the year-earlier period.

“The island’s, and the state’s, PV industry is on track to have its best year since 2016,” Mangelsdorf said. “The mainstreaming, as in affordability, availability and benefits, of batteries as a key component to new PV system sales is a big contributing factor.”

Mangelsdorf said the reduction of the federal investment tax credit from 30% to 26% on Jan. 1 also has been a boost in getting homeowners and businesses to go solar this year.

Ranking PV companies by permits pulled, RevoluSun leads the way year to date with an increase of 47%. It is followed among the top permit pullers by Hawaii Energy Connection, up 98%; Alternate Energy, up 96%; Petersen­Dean, up 1,272%; Sunrun, down 65%; Vivint Solar, up 367%; EcoSolar, up 132%; P&T Solar, up 104%; Tesla, down 8%; and Amcon Companies, which doesn’t have a comparative number since it pulled no permits in 2018.

Solar permits pulled year to date that included storage totaled 74%.

“In big PV states on the mainland, the percentage of systems including storage doesn’t even go above 10 percent,” Mangelsdorf said.