Plenty in store  

Just as cars took over the roads from horses, the batteries are coming for fossil fuels at Marsden Point and the ribbon was cut on Meridian’s big ol’ battery set up at the Ruakaka Energy Park today.

As RNZ reported: 

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With an ability to pump up to 100 megawatts (MW) of power into the national grid, Meridian's battery site aims to solve one of the key shortcomings of solar power - that the sun often isn't shining when power is most in demand.

The battery energy storage site (BESS) covers an area equivalent to two rugby fields and consists of 80 shipping-container-sized lithium-ion batteries, produced by French company Saft.

Meridian is also planning to build one of the country's biggest solar power stations next to the battery site.

Consent has already been granted for the solar farm, which will have about 200,000 panels spread over three sites totalling 172 hectares.

Once completed next year, the solar farm's annual output is expected to total 150-200 gigawatt-hours (GWh), enough to power half the homes in Northland.

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Shane Jones, who announced a $200 million policy to support more gas fields in yesterday’s budget, was in Northland to open the new battery site (which also used electric diggers for some of the construction work). The former is a policy we don’t think will pay off and is looking to the past, but with New Zealand’s renewable resources, investing in more solar and batteries (large and small) definitely will pay off and is an investment in the future. 

Rewiring Aotearoa's policy manifesto, which will be released next week outlines how we can create a cheaper, cleaner and stronger energy system, so sign up to our newsletter to get sent a copy. 

Ride the lightning

New Zealanders holding out hope for a fully electric ute are still waiting for options to arrive, but for those who just can’t hang on, there is an answer because Australian company AUSEV is now able to export its tweaked Ford F150 Lightnings to New Zealand after Richard Lee from Independent Training Audit Services certified the truck for New Zealand compliance.

The company has already delivered a few vehicles to New Zealand - and we imagine there will be a few more of them heading our way soon following this news. 

As the below review shows, it's certainly hitting the spot on one Australian farm.

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Up, up and away

If you’re looking to stay off the roads, then California start-up Pivotal could be an option. Its Helix machine claims to "bring the wonder of flight with the world's first powered-lift, vertical takeoff and landing ultralight". And if you’ve got a spare US$190k, it’s yours. 

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Panel discussion

New Zealanders are rightly concerned about waste, but the beauty of renewables is that many of the materials can be recycled, as opposed to fossil fuels that are burned and just disappear into the air. 

We mentioned local company Phoenix in our explainer on the promise of a more circular electric economy and while it’s important to note that solar panel waste will pale into insignificance in comparison to our current wasteful approach, the company has laid out more details about its solar panel recycling scheme.

“We accept all the common types of framed solar panels used across residential, commercial, and utility-scale installations in New Zealand. Whether you're upgrading your system, have damaged panels, decommissioning a solar farm, or managing end-of-life panels from a project site, we can recycle them. Once processed, up to 98% of a panel’s components can be successfully recovered and re-manufactured into new products. Now available at: Whangārei, Onehunga, Hamilton, Blenheim, Christchurch & Dunedin. Our other Phoenix sites are coming online soon."

Find out more here. 

Full circle

The circular economy is not just about the environment, however. Increasingly it's good business and, as we mentioned in last week’s rundown, recyclable minerals are starting to be seen as a strategic asset that you can stockpile, which is very different to hydrocarbons that you use and need to have resupplied. 

China realised this a long time ago and, as Motion Capital’s Lachlan Nixon wrote: 

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Localisation. Resilience. Control. These aren’t buzzwords - they’re the new currency of competitive advantage … As global supply chains fracture and the world de-globalises, sustainability isn’t just about doing good - it’s about staying strong.”

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Check out his piece with Closed Loop Partners, which explores “why the circular economy is fast becoming a security strategy, not just a climate one”. 

One for all and all for sun 

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Rewiring has been working on a solar for renters scheme in New Zealand, and Octopus Energy is on the same page with its new Tenant Power offer in the UK.

As we have often said, those with the lowest incomes stand to benefit most from the savings of going electric and adding solar, but the split incentive means landlords are not incentivised to invest. That's changing.

Nigel Banks, Zero Bills Director at Octopus Energy, said: “One of the biggest blockers to scaling green social housing has been the lack of incentives for landlords. “‘Tenant Power’ removes that barrier by giving landlords a clear return on their investment in low-carbon tech, while delivering meaningful savings for tenants. It’s a win-win model for both landlord and tenant which helps accelerate the roll out of affordable, sustainable housing.”

The company believes tenants could save "up to £200 per year compared to a standard variable tariff".

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