The case for energy loans: read our latest explainer
After surveying almost 100 New Zealanders about their solar and battery installs, Mysolarquotes recently released 'The Hidden Costs of Solar and Battery Systems in New Zealand: 2024 Insights' report. And it's good news for customers looking to go big.
As the report summarised in its key takeaways section:
As the author Kristy Hoare concludes: "Yes, solar and battery systems are a significant investment, but they’re also a ticket to long-term energy independence and peace of mind. With low-interest loans from major banks, more Kiwis are taking the leap into renewable energy without the immediate financial pinch. Ultimately, investing in solar is about more than just the numbers. It’s about taking control of your energy future, contributing to a cleaner environment."
Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey was pleased to see the prices matching up closely to its own estimates and says it's always smart to get a few quotes to compare.
"Every home is different, but most homes are similar so it's good to get a ballpark figure. If you've got a difficult roof, or you need some other upgrades, you can expect to pay more but almost everyone we talk to who goes for it thinks it's a good decision."
The only point of contention was around battery prices and the expectation that they won't drop much this year.
"With the precipitous declines we're seeing from some manufacturers, we believe they will also be dropping in price rapidly for customers - and this is also likely to have an impact on the price of EVs."
Everyone is rocking on down to Electric Avenue today (this one online, not that other small one in Hagley Park in Christchurch), so let's ride the lightning: profits and electricity prices keep going up, as panels keep going down; a new paper puts a number on how much more homes with solar sell for; we're bottling things up with big and small batteries and they are eating into gas in Australia and California; transport emissions drop across the Tasman as a result of Government EV incentives, while HEB Construction electrifies its fleet; electrons are coming from above in China; and Xpeng announces the arrival of a crazy looking electric van/aircraft carrier.
Read moreDownloadWarren G and Nate Dogg said it best when they said: 'Regulators, mount up!' - and this week, they have.In a rare joint open letter, three different regulators - EECA (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority), the Commerce Commission and the Electricity Authority - have basically told the lines companies to pull their socks up and make the most of ‘non-network solutions’ (AKA stop building more expensive poles and wires and start looking at customers and new technology as part of the solution!).
Read moreDownload"The LNG announcement from earlier this month has set the stage: electricity, and the energy sector more broadly, is set to be a major election issue this year. Casey has compared electricity to telecommunications, an area where services have become much cheaper in the last decade with technology advancing. “There are supply challenges for the grid and natural gas, and increasing pressure to find sustainable alternatives as reliance on fossil fuels becomes less viable,” he wrote in a Newsroom piece earlier this month, heralding the “electric election”.
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