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RNZ's Eloise Gibson has taken another look at the energy sector and found there are lessons to be learned from Australia, where around one third of homes have rooftop solar. In New Zealand, the number is a lot lower, but it's growing quickly and that's largely because it makes economic sense over the long term, especially if you've electrified your appliances and vehicles. Batteries and solar combos are also becoming more common and every home with a battery basically removes themselves from the peak period. "But Mike Casey of clean energy charity Rewiring Aotearoa said battery prices were falling quickly, and combined solar and battery systems were now the cheapest source of energy available to households - even including the upfront cost of buying the equipment ... Casey said if households had better access to low-cost loans, they could buy household batteries themselves and take pressure off electricity generators by using their own power in times of shortage. They could also sell their surplus to others, taking more pressure off the grid when supply is tight."
We're throwing a price parity party as BYD announces compelling deals for new electric cars (no need to add wings to save money); another impressive New Zealand marine business E-Stroke looks to retrofit recreational boats and shows the economics stack up; Australia gets creative with its excess solar and batteries that have been installed in a few months as part of the subsidy programme now rival our third biggest power station; New Plymouth District Council gets set to benefit from a big airport solar farm; how thousands of panels are being installed and cleaned with the help of robots; and Norwegian smart charging provider Zaptec tells the inspiring tale of a man on a home petrol pump mission.
Read moreDownloadWhen many of the poles and wires went down in Southland after the recent storms, a number of homes, farms and businesses with solar and batteries were able to keep running. And TVNZ's Jared McCulloch spoke to the owners of Fairbank Farms about their experience.
Read moreDownloadThere’s plenty of energy emanating from the ground at Te Puia in Rotorua. And there’s plenty of creative energy emanating from those studying at the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute. Now there’s also plenty of electric energy, because the business has upgraded its fossil fuel vehicles and added a big solar system so they can run on the sun.
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