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Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey writes in Newsroom (paywall) that the low hydro lake levels are putting us at risk of another energy crunch in 2025, but more solar on our homes, farms and businesses would help bolster our energy security. As he says: "Solar is an energy source that is proven to perform better in dry years, ranks as the cheapest form of energy ever developed by humans and can help bring the cost of electricity down for everyone. When the leaves start dropping next year, I hope Min. Watts isn’t quite as concerned about lake levels or long-term forecasts because he can bask in the sunshine and know that he has helped more New Zealand homes, farms and businesses generate cheap electricity from the big nuclear fusion reactor in the sky. The future is bright."
Read moreDownload the document hereWhen 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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