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RNZ's Kathryn Ryan has talked to energy researchers who claim rising demand for electricity in summer (largely due to increasing air conditioning requirements and EVs) will have repercussions on lake levels come next winter. And while Transpower says the risks of an electricity supply shortage this year have eased, next winter's forecast is concerning. Irrigation is also a major user of electricity in summer in some regions. Solar is well-suited to both of these cases as the electricity is usually required during the day when the sun is out, so more solar at home and on our farms can provide a lot of what we need with less strain on the grid and at the lowest cost.
As we have mentioned previously, New Zealand's electricity is much less renewable - and much more expensive - when there’s not enough water in our hydro lakes and we have to burn coal or gas in winter at times of high demand, like we did this year.
Rooftop solar is the cheapest form of electricity availlable to New Zealand households, because the price of the panels has declined so rapidly and the energy is generated where it is used. The price has declined rapidly, while grid electricity has risen and is expected to keep doing so (the red line is what customers are expected to pay for more expensive upgrades to the poles and wires).
Sunshine hours are, on average, 5% higher in a dry year compared to the average and 10% higher in April/May/June. More rooftop solar could help provide the electricity the country needs through winter, and also ensure we go into winter with higher lake levels.
There’s plenty of energy emanating from the ground at Te Puia in Rotorua. And there’s plenty of creative energy emanating from those studying at the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute. Now there’s also plenty of electric energy, because the business has upgraded its fossil fuel vehicles and added a big solar system so they can run on the sun.
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