
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."
In the last Electric Avenue of 2025, we look at the two biggest trends in the world of energy; the Government goes electric for its fancy fleet upgrade; Nick Offerman offers his services to a US campaign extolling the virtues of EVs; Australia shows what's possible in new homes when you add solar, batteries and smart tech; a start-up selling portable solar and battery systems that wants it to be as easy and common as wi-fi; and The Lines Company looks to put some solar on the roof of the Ōtorohanga Kiwi House.
Read moreDownloadWhen it comes to electric farming, "the numbers are becoming undeniable," says Nicholson Poultry's Jeff Collings. With 60kW of solar, a Nissan Leaf as a 'farm quad', electric mowers, an electric ute that can run a water blaster, and even a chicken manure scraper made out of a wrecked Tesla that, as Rewiring's Matt Newman says, looks a bit like something out of Mad Max, "almost everything is electric". There aren't many others in New Zealand who have gone this far down the electric road. And, with his electric Stark Varg, the fastest off-road motorbike in the world, he's obviously having plenty of fun on that road, too.
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