Operation Laser Kiwi: help us take New Zealand-made energy on the road
The savings from solar are very compelling on their own, but there are many who don’t want to invest because they may not be planning to stay in the home for very long. It’s a reasonable concern given the average time spent in a house is now just over five years. But a new paper shows that solar can be a good investment when it comes to house prices.
We have heard plenty of anecdotal evidence that solar has this effect, but the paper by Chad Harland and Yvonne Matthews called Power in the Pitch has put a number on it.
“Results show that solar homes are marketed through lifestyle, rural and quality cues rather than explicit sustainability framing, suggesting that PV is bundled with broader amenity signals rather than positioned as a distinct attribute. PV-equipped homes command an average sale price premium of 1.34%, with no significant difference in days on market. Effects do not vary with solar irradiance or local solar penetration, indicating limited salience of site-specific energy benefits in buyer decision-making.”
As Kristy Hoare from MySolarQuotes wrote:
“On a $900,000 home that’s over $12,000 - approximately the initial cost of a 6kW system. And that’s before you factor in the power savings while you’re living there. This matters for the solar industry because we hear this all the time: 'I’m not planning to stay here long-term, so what’s the point of going solar?' If solar is a capital improvement, not just a bill saver, that objection starts to fall apart.”
Vessev keeps on flying with a $32 million funding round and more international orders; Golden Bay Fruit and Alsco look up to try and get a competitive advantage; there's a 96% approval rating among EV owners and the cops like their EVs too; Woolworths unveils a purpose-built charging hub at Penrose for its electric deliveries; Bev might take a bit of getting used to; desperate times call for clever measures in Cuba as three-wheeled solar powered scooters start collecting trash; and meet 'Electric Saul', an AI version of real Saul Griffith that offers electrification advice.
Read moreDownload"Climate action is no longer a cost. Climate action is profitable." On Azoora Ali's podcast Care Before Profits, Mike Casey explained how a large upfront investment in electric machines, solar and batteries is now paying off because he is able to run his cherry orchard more cheaply than a diesel-based equivalent.
Read moreDownloadSolar power is all the talk right now, especially after supply chains started creating pressure on petrol prices earlier this year. But is it all hype? Or is there genuinely an incredible opportunity for us to harness the sun and go electric here in New Zealand? Mike Casey discusses the truth about solar, how it can be financed, what kiwis need to know about it and what the future holds. When it comes to investing, everyone is focused on the stock market, crypto or the housing ponzi, but could this be an opportunity sitting right in front of us?
Read moreDownload
