The 'Electric Election': energy policies, side by side
More solar on schools is definitely something worth celebrating and energy minister Simeon Brown and education minister Erica Stanford ventured to Te Papapa School in Auckland to announce the 500 schools set to receive systems as part of the $30 million scheme. That's a good thing, but we hope it is just the start - not just for the number of schools, but also for the size of the systems being installed.
There are around 2,500 schools around the country and, as the Government said in a release, “340 schools in the North Island, 157 in the South Island and three in the Chathams will benefit from this practical, forward-looking initiative that turns sunshine into savings and gives power back to schools".
"The 500 schools have been selected because they are experiencing energy or fuel insecurity, facing higher energy costs, are scheduled for gas or diesel boiler replacements, or have a need for greater energy resilience."
Disappointingly, many of the installs are just 10kW, which is only slightly bigger than the average household install in Australia.
EECA modelling using a 30kW system (which we believe is also quite small given the amount of roof space many schools have available) show schools could save around $8,000 per year on their bills. Some larger schools are receiving installs over 100kW and there is already a high level of interest from the industry in participating in the programme.
Importantly, Stanford said in a release that this scheme would free up money that can be spent on teaching and learning, something we have advocated for strongly. We have asked the Ministry of Education to clarify that the savings from operational budgets would be put back into other areas in the schools to help kids.
Up to 150 of the schools will also receive energy management systems, and selected schools will receive batteries "where they are expected to deliver the greatest savings and community resilience benefits."
With the bulk of a school's energy use happening during the day, more solar is a no-brainer, more school batteries are a growing opportunity, and more energy literacy is needed for the 16% of the population at a school every day - and, as we've seen at schools that already have solar, a tangible demonstration is a great way to get kids engaged early.
'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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