Operation Laser Kiwi: help us take New Zealand-made energy on the road
Has Zane Kaihe got a deal for you! Anyone who buys something from Alpine Heat Pumps, will "get to see my smiley face at your house". Kaihe has been in Queenstown for 27 years supplying and installing heat pumps around the region. "That is pretty much all I do." We reckon he and his fellow tradies will be the heroes of New Zealand's electric transition because we're going to need a lot of them for all the solar and batteries, space and water heat pumps, cooktops and EV chargers being installed in the coming years.
Heat pumps on the wall are pretty standard in New Zealand now but they're also a good option for underfloor heating and Kaihe says he is now getting into domestic hot water.
If you're looking to get off the diesel boiler - something Mike Casey did a few years back before the price skyrocketed- it can be done economically, he says, but every home is different and it might require some tinkering and expert advice to ensure it can do the job.
Getting the gas bottles off the side of the house is an easier swap (and there's also an opportunity for people in the region to get an actual good deal on a hot water heat pump through the Queenstown Electrification Accelerator's group discount scheme)⚡https://loom.ly/GymHGIA
Te Pāti Māori has announced its energy policy, which it hopes will lower power costs for whānau and reduce New Zealand’s dependency on fossil fuels. The policy's centrepiece is an energy sovereignty fund, which will see Te Pāti Māori establish a $1 billion fund to “build Māori and community ownership of the energy system”.
People installing solar power systems with batteries on their homes, hoping to avoid the disruption of a power cut, are being told to check with the installer that the battery can provide that protection.
Read moreDownloadKiwis are catching on to the benefits of solar panels - and demand's spiking ... But the industry warns we need about six thousand more trained electricians - across the country - to do the work. Rewiring Aotearoa Chief Executive, Mike Casey told Heather du Plessis-Allan he hopes interest will continue over time. He says oil shortages because of the Iran war is keeping demand high - with energy prices climbing. He says solar is the one reprieve Kiwis get.
