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Following stories in the media of solar customers who are not getting the promised bill reductions from solar, Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey joined Jesse Mulligan to talk about what to look out for, how to ensure you get a quality install and why the vast majority of people are very satisfied with their solar.
Like any tradesperson doing work on your property, there is an element of trust involved and a risk that an install won't be done well. But satisfaction rates among solar customers are around 90% overseas and we have heard a huge number of positive solar stories from New Zealanders who have invested and significantly reduced their bills. Reputation is everything in the trades, so the best advice is to talk to someone who already has solar and had a good experience.
Some installers may charge more but might offer ongoing assistance to help with any issues. The lowest price may not always be the best option.
This stuff can be complex and there's a lot of learning to be done. It's often a big step on the way to becoming more energy literate, but if something doesn't feel right - and having to import electricity from the grid in the middle of a sunny day is definitely not right - then make sure it's remedied.
Judging from these stories, the issues are all fairly easy to remedy, so it's not a problem with the tech, as over four million Aussies can attest. In New Zealand, installs are growing at record levels, so it's not surprising to see a few more complaints being lodged with Utilities Disputes.
The Queenstown Electrification Accelerator has created a solar quote comparison tool, which you can check out here.
When Mike Casey bought his house near Cromwell, it came with gas bottles on the side of the home for water and an expensive diesel system for the underfloor heating. He replaced both of them with a Steibel Eltron system and it's been saving him money ever since. As technical manager Bhawesh Singh told him at the Electrify Queenstown conference, there has been a big influx in enquiries from homes looking to get off the molecules and onto electrons.
Read moreDownloadConfidence that cutting regulations to make solar power more accessible - won't jeopardise people's safety. A new Regulation Ministry reports laid out a potential blueprint to legalise plug-in solar and reduce the time and cost of panel installation. Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey shares his thoughts with Andrew Dickens.
The burgeoning demand for solar was also a chance to address a mismatch between the numbers of training opportunities available and young people searching for work, Casey said. "The mums of New Zealand are telling me that there's not enough apprenticeships for their kids and the solar installers of New Zealand are telling me there's not enough trained people."
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