Don't listen to Old Man Gas. Ditch LNG. Support New Zealand-made energy!
There’s plenty of energy emanating from the ground at Te Puia in Rotorua. And there’s plenty of creative energy emanating from those studying at the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute. Now there’s also plenty of electric energy, because the business has upgraded its fossil fuel vehicles and added a big solar system so they can run on the sun.
As Nick Dallimore, general manager of operations and site development says, Te Puia now has five fully electric people movers to shuttle guests around to the different geothermal attractions.
It also invested in five electric utility vehicles for its maintenance and food and beverage teams to get around the site. Previously, he says they relied on noisy, smelly petrol versions that interrupted the visitor experience.
The 700kw, $1 million solar system will be paid off in under five years and, as he says, “it looks pretty cool”. Staff are now asked to plug the vehicles back in when they’re not in use, but because the business doesn’t use all the energy it’s generating, it’s always sending excess back to the grid, which helps to pay the investment off.
Te Puia is an inspirational destination, both due to the power of nature and the commitment to preserving Māori skills. Let’s hope it also inspires other businesses to go electric - for the lifetime savings, reduced emissions and increased resilience.
Political Power has gone local! Dr Nick Smith, mayor of Nelson and ex-National Party minister, is an early adopter when it comes to electric machines but, through his efforts with the council and his close involvement with the Ratepayer Assistance Scheme, he's also embracing one of Rewiring's core mantras: once you've electrified your own life, electrify someone else's life, too.
Read moreDownloadWhether it's the growing number of electric buses, new electric trains for the lower North Island and City Rail Link, or new electric ferries, we love seeing more electric transport options in our big cities. It's also good to see some of our smaller cities like Palmerston North, Timaru and Nelson going electric and, as is almost always the case, the drivers reckon it's better on electrons. At the Electrify Nelson expo, we spoke with one driver Lee about the city's electric buses. And he definitely wouldn't go back to diesel.
Read moreDownload
