'This car can...' Check out our new campaign
For Andrew Cranswick, operations manager at Tumu Timbers in Hastings, the calculation was pretty simple: solar costs had dropped by about a third since they last ooked at it, and power prices had gone up by about the same amount.
If something makes financial sense, he says the board will always support it. And, as they were on a fixed price for their electricity, it was clear the energy they could generate on their own roof was the cheapest energy they could get, something more homes, farms and businesses are discovering.
Working with local company Isaacs, they installed a 340kw solar array and the idea is to use as much of it as possible. The company is planning another similar sized install on another roof.
He says payback will be between 5 and 6 years and the savings will keep coming after that.
There are a lot more New Zealanders looking for EVs right now as concerns about the price and availability of fuel rises. But many of them are new to the scene. Here are some things to consider to ensure you get the right EV for your needs.
Read moreDownloadThere’s a lot of talk about what electric vehicles can’t do and plenty of myths and misperceptions that might stop people from upgrading. But the people who actually own EVs? They’re overwhelmingly sold and recent research showed that 96% of EV owners would buy another one. That's why we're launching 'This Car Can...' We want to tap into that electric enthusiasm and convince more New Zealanders who may be on the fence to start running on cheap local electrons rather than on expensive imported foreign molecules.
EV owners love all the things their cars can do - and they can do a lot of different things these days. So we're asking them to share a story about their EV experience, upload a photo and tell us what their car can do, or send in a video.
We'll add them to the campaign page and we'll use the best ones on socials and in our advocacy to show how lots of different New Zealanders are benefitting from EVs in their lives.
We've also compiled a whole heap of information on why we love EVs - from the savings to the speed off the mark and everything inbetween.
Get in behind!