Read our new Electric Homes and Vehicles report
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.
EV sales for June are up over 150% year on year and retaining the Clean Car Standard will ensure New Zealand remains as a priority market for supply. Rewiring Aotearoa, BYD and NordEast say the CCS should be kept in place and refined, while weakening of the standards would mean New Zealanders will miss out on new models, growing demand for EVs may not be able to be met and the country will get less efficient vehicles. The argument being made by manufacturers and importers that weakening the standards would decrease upfront costs is a false economy, as electric cars save New Zealanders more money over their lifetime. More needs to be done to give New Zealanders access to newer technology, rather than making it easier to bring in old, higher emitting technology.
Read moreDownloadIndia looks to electric transport to clear the air; Geely tries to bridge the psychological gap with three years free charging deal; New Zealand still lagging behind on EV friendliness; remote resorts on Fiji get Future Energy to help them get off expensive diesel; Kiwibank adds a 'going electric' section to its sustainable business loans; a rundown of all the latest solar and electric innovation from a big exhibition; Beta offers an insight into its electric plane trial with Air New Zealand; and a compendium of electric world records.
Read moreDownloadThe ongoing situation in the Middle East has sparked debate about increased use of renewable energy, according to one expert. Mike Casey is the CEO of Rewiring Aotearoa, a New Zealand charity dedicated to electrifying millions of fossil fuel machines and boosting renewable energy. He joined the Afternoons team to discuss the changing attitudes around this technology.
