Meet Erik Thorbjornsen
Founder of Hawaii Solar Group
I’ve lived in Makawao for the past 10 years, and most evenings you’ll find me on any of the north shore beaches with my 16-year-old golden retriever, Shea. On weekends, I’m usually hiking through a forest, hunting a waterfall, playing inline hockey, or golfing on any of the beautiful courses in Hawaii (handicap’s an 11, for anyone wondering).
I participate and volunteer with Surfrider Foundation, Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii, and the Shaka Movement. organizations committed to ocean preservation and the long-term health of the ʻāina.
I’ve spent over 20 years in the solar industry and started Hawaii Solar Group to preserve trust, transparency, provide unbiased advice from experts in the industry, and to put people first. No sales pitches, no commissions, just a more supportive way to go solar. Let’s change how solar is sold!
A 20-Year Journey Begins
Before solar was trendy, before batteries, sophisticated design software, smart inverters, even before the federal tax credits, I was knocking on doors and talking to skeptical homeowners about why clean energy mattered. Over the past two decades, I worked across different states and markets and quietly built a reputation as someone who did things differently—fair, honest, and always focused on what was right for the customer. Customers became friends, not just clients, but real relationships involving dinner parties, holiday get-togethers, birthday celebrations, rounds of golf, even the occasional helicopter ride. I worked hard to establish credibility and my customers knew it. They genuinely felt taken care of.
Back then, solar systems cost 3-4 times more than they do now, the solar panels were under 150 watts and produced a quarter of the power they do today. Solar didn’t always make sense back then, but still I stuck with it.
I didn’t just sell solar, I believed in it.
And while a lot of sales reps were chasing commissions, I was building relationships. Over time, as solar became more mainstream, I started getting more and more calls from friends and family around the country with the same question:
“I’m interested in solar, what should I do?”
The Family Method
Regardless of where they were, the east coast, the midwest, or our neighbors on the west coast, I’d give my friends and family the same advice every time:
“Call four companies. Get proposals. Send them to me. I’ll handle the rest.”
And I did. I’d review the designs, the equipment, the warranties. I’d advise my friends what to avoid, what to upgrade, and exactly what to say to negotiate a better deal. I’d design the system they actually needed the same as if I was doing it for myself.
These were my family and friends, and I never charged them a penny. These conversations became my favorite part of the day, I wasn’t trying to sell them, they knew they weren’t being sold, I just wanted to help them win.
I didn’t accept any compensation so it was clear I had zero incentive to mislead them, and that kind of trust resonated deeply.
Then the Solar Industry Changed
We call it the “solar gold rush”.
Incentives got bigger, Utility programs exploded, and with it came a wave of salespeople who were in it for the money, not the mission. Commissions started hitting $5,000, $10,000, even $20,000 per sale. Young sales reps began banking $250,000 annually, but it came at a price. Homeowners were being upsold, misled, and overwhelmed, sometimes through ignorance and sometimes through negligence.
When designed correctly and sold with integrity, solar power offers Hawaii homeowners and businesses a cleaner, more affordable alternative to HECO energy, and when you drive around our islands, you’ll notice thousands have already taken advantage of these benefits.
But when the customer’s best interest is NOT the priority, solar can quickly go sideways. A Google search for “solar scams” tells the story: Page after page highlighting bad customer experiences due to inflated pricing, misleading claims, and poorly designed systems that leave people frustrated and overpaying.
You’d think that something with major financial and tax implications would be treated like a mortgage, or an investment, handled by licensed professionals with strict oversight. But in solar? There is no licensing required to sell it and only minimal oversight, even though these systems involve major financial and tax implications.
Solar sales became the wild west. No rules and virtually no accountability.
That’s when I knew: homeowners deserved a better way.
The Birth of Hawaii Solar Group
That’s how Hawaii Solar Group was born, rooted in the exact same method I used for my friends and family.
What did we do? We flipped the script, offering expert guidance, total transparency, and a process that’s finally built for the customer. No sales reps. No pressure. No commissions.
At HSG, we design your system around your needs, not what a sales rep wants to sell to you. Then we shop it to trusted local solar companies. In most cases we deal directly with the owners of these companies and bypass the sales department entirely, removing margins and eliminating unnecessary upsells.
Once we receive proposals from each installer, we use our 20+ years of industry experience to negotiate the best possible pricing and terms. We then compile each company’s final offer into a clear, side-by-side comparison, making it easy to evaluate. From there, we guide you through the pros and cons of each option so you can make an informed, confident decision.
You don’t get sold. You get supported.
No Cost. No Pressure. Just the Truth.
Just like I did for my own friends and family, you don’t pay a dime for this service.
After careful consideration, once you choose a solar company, that company pays HSG a flat referral fee. The fee is the same regardless of how big or expensive your system is, whether your quote is $25,000 or $125,000, our fee doesn’t change. I constructed it this way to build trust, remove any incentive to upsell, and provide our customers with the best options available. That’s exactly how we like it.
We’re not only changing the solar experience, we’re changing the way solar is sold.
If you’re considering solar, or simply tired of rising electric bills and paying more to HECO each month, don’t waste time chasing quotes or sitting through sales pitches. Let us simplify the process and do the heavy lifting for you.
Mahalo,
Erik Thorbjornsen
Founder & President – Hawaii Solar Group
Why Wouldn’t You?
Simply click the button. You’ll get expert guidance, better pricing, zero pressure, and complete peace of mind.