Across the ditch, homes and businesses are increasingly turning to solar energy according to New Zealand’s Electricity Networks Association (ENA).
In October 2013 there were just 1,630 installations of solar power systems in New Zealand; but by March this year, that figure had jumped to 5,367; a 220 percent increase.
There are a few surprises as to where these systems are being installed. It appears the less sunny South Island is top of the leaderboard, while the lower North Island and West Coast have the lowest uptake.
Most of the new installations have occurred in major population centres. Nearly a third between October 2013 and March this year have been in Auckland, 16 percent in Canterbury and 11 percent in the Waikato.
“We were expecting to see more solar in sunny areas of the North Island and in Wellington. But it seems that South Islanders are more interested in harvesting the sun,” said ENA Chief Executive Graeme Peters, who said it was quite puzzling people in sunny locations such as Bay of Plenty and Gisborne have been slow in installing solar panels.
While New Zealand’s PV uptake may be well behind Australia’s 1.3 million+ installs in terms of total installs and per capita installations; the country is no slouch when it comes to renewables.
New Zealand has an electricity supply based on 80 percent renewable energy – primarily hydro, geothermal and wind generation. In March last year, wind power generated 501,000 megawatt hours – 6.3% of the country’s electricity needs. The New Zealand Wind Energy Association believes wind power will account for at least 20% of the country’s electricity by 2030.
The Electricity Networks Association, which represents New Zealand’s 29 electricity distribution businesses, says it doesn’t have a view on the benefits or otherwise of installing solar; but it does acknowledge that it’s a trend that isn’t going to go away.
The ENA is also eyeing the evolution of Electric Vehicles (EVs).
Recently, the body formed a working group to undertake a scoping study examining public charging infrastructure for EVs. A ‘Renewables Highway’ could see a network of charging stations at key locations along State Highway 1, which runs the length of both islands and is the longest road in the New Zealand.
“Though there is a relatively small number of EVs in New Zealand currently, the technology is advancing quickly and we expect demand will pick up strongly as the benefits of EVs become evident and behaviours change.”
