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Rather than relying on unproven technologies like carbon capture or unreliable offsets in the form of overseas trees, upgrading our small fossil fuel machines to electric equivalents and running them off renewable electricity is one of the best ways to reach our climate targets. We've been saying it for a while and the Climate Change Commission agrees, with an RNZ story saying "there are big opportunities in renewable energy and clean farming that could cut household bills, help businesses - and get the country back on track".
The Climate Change Commission released its update on how the country is tracking and, while emissions are trending down, there is a risk we will not meet our 2050 target. Jo Hendy, the commission's chief executive, said: "If we do this right we have a lot of opportunity for lowering energy costs to households, for example solar and wind are the lowest cost source of electricity right now, we have the opportunity to create new jobs in new clean industries and really protect our local businesses access to market."
Around 25% of New Zealand's gross emissions come from small fossil fuel machines. These are, as Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey says, the low-hanging cherries of emissions reduction and he has proven on Forest Lodge Orchard that going electric is not only good for the environment, it's also good business. More farmers are recognising that energy is one area they can reduce costs without compromising on anything.
When 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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