The 'Electric Election': energy policies, side by side
Our hydro lakes are basically like big batteries and we need to save them for when they are most needed, says Mike Casey. Currently it's the job of coal to help keep this big battery charged during a dry year and that's expensive and polluting. But when it doesn't rain it shines and between April-August, sunshine hours are, on average, 5% higher in a dry year compared to the average.
I woke up to a front page story in the Otago Daily Times a couple of days ago about our worryingly low hydro lake levels, and the plans being put in place by the authorities to make sure we have enough electricity to get us through the winter.
These dry years happen, on average, every 4-5 years and this one has had a significant impact on the wholesale price of electricity.
Other articles tell me that it’s also been quite calm, so we haven’t had as much wind generation as we would normally have. That doesn’t exactly help the situation, and is leading to even higher prices.
At Rewiring Aotearoa, we believe more rooftop solar is essential as we electrify all the fossil fuel machines in our economy - and not just because it reduces emissions, but because it’s the cheapest form of delivered electricity available to New Zealanders and can help bring down the price of electricity for everyone.
And it turns out it’s even more sensible in a dry year.
We looked at NIWA’s data on sunshine hours in Auckland and Christchurch since 2000.
We know that there isn’t as much sun in winter than there is in summer. But over April-August, sunshine hours are, on average, 5% higher in a dry year compared to the average.
And they are 10% higher in April/May/June, which is actually critical so that we can go into winter with higher lake levels.
Our hydro lakes are basically like big batteries and we need to save them for when they are most needed. Currently it's the job of coal to help keep this big battery charged and that's expensive and polluting.
More solar on our homes, businesses and farms - and more batteries to store that cheap solar energy and help manage our peaks - can help do that. If 1.5 million Kiwi homes got an average sized solar installation (9-10Kw), just the additional 10% kick from solar in Apr/May/June in dry years would reduce the need for one of those big Huntly coal units by 50%!
This will also generate about 23kWh per day in August, which is the equivalent of burning a 20 kilogram sack of Indonesian coal at Huntly every 1.5 days. The house with solar would stop about one metric tonne of coal from being burned in June, July and August.
We need to start thinking about customers as part of the electricity system and fairly rewarding those who have invested in solar and batteries. And we need to reward customers fairly for their contribution.
'Twas the night before Chris-mas, and all through the house, all the voters were stirring, the pundits showing their nous … the election will soon be over, but the energy crisis won't, so we'll be there to pester whoever is in power about the need to run more of the economy on New Zealand-made energy; can Ethiopia's aggressive push for EVs work and how does New Zealand compare in terms of adoption rates?; a two-way charging trial from Genesis shows promise in Auckland, but there's still a way to go before it's mainstream; small electric vehicles are often overlooked when it comes to electrifying transport, but it's hard to miss this weird French one; a solar-powered cafe (and some electric coffee); and we endorse the political vandalism of Keith of All Trades.
Read moreDownloadPoliticians are being urged to adopt stronger electric vehicle incentives ahead of the election. Climate and energy advocacy group Rewiring Aotearoa is arguing that EVs are one of the most effective long-term solutions for rising transport and energy costs. They're promoting an EV Salary Boost proposal, which would allow workers to access EVs through pre-tax salary arrangements – similarly to already existing schemes in the UK and Australia. Policy and Government Relations Spokesperson Ngaio Neumegen told Kerre Woodham that even with the rising cost of power, it's still cheaper to run an EV than a car running on imported fuel.
A proposal that would let New Zealanders lease an electric car using their before-tax pay has not won a commitment from either National or Labour, with the 7 November election days away. Under the EV Salary Boost, put forward by Rewiring Aotearoa and Drive Electric, an employee would lease a new or used EV for three to five years. The payments would come out of their pay before tax, lowering the cost of running the car. The idea is based on Australia’s novated leasing system, though the groups say they are not proposing a direct copy.
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