News & Updates

Solar and batteries - in homes and EVs - offer signicant resilience benefits during times of crisis and the Ratepayer Assistance Scheme can help unlock private investment.

Electrification is the single biggest opportunity to improve fuel security in New Zealand and that's why we think we need a bold national energy independence plan, not just more incremental changes to our current fuel security plan.

Unmanaged EV charging that occurs at network and system peaks could add unnecessary electricity infrastructure investment, increasing bills for all customers. Investment in our networks is scaled to meet peak demands and has the potential to significantly increase electricity bills over the coming decades. It is important we take action to shift demand, where it makes sense, to avoid peak demand increases. Rewiring Aotearoa is very supportive of the efforts the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment is taking to consider options to deliver a more flexible electricity system that will lower system costs for all consumers. Uptake of smart EV chargers is one way to manage peak EV demand and support a lower system cost. However we do not think there is a strong enough case to mandate that all fixed EV charging units sold in New Zealand must be smart.

Rewiring Aotearoa supports the proposed changes to Multiple Trading Relationships (MTR) (allowing two traders – distributed generation and consumption), which will increase consumer choice and introduce more competition to retail tariffs. For example, it will disincentivise tariffs that offer competitive export tariffs, but also ramp up consumption tariffs. The Electricity Authority should also implement changes at this time that require retailers to allow large sites to share solar across multiple co-located installation control points (ICPs, i.e. ICP aggregation), and facilitate peer to peer trading for small scale renewable generators with local sites. Rewiring Aotearoa disagrees that delaying these steps via a staged approach is in consumers best interest. Consumers should not have to wait until demand increases to unlock the benefits of their solar and battery systems or access more competitive options from retailers. This should be supported now, to help consumers make investment and retail tariff decisions that reduce their overall energy bills.

We appreciate that broader resource management reform is underway that will ultimately provide a more consistent national framework. However, we cannot afford to wait for the perfect system while workable solutions are delayed. In the meantime, inconsistent and unnecessary consenting requirements for small-scale ground-mounted solar are slowing down projects that could deliver immediate benefits - lowering energy costs, strengthening resilience, and supporting the grid. While long-term reform is important, immediate adjustments will ensure small-scale solar isn’t held back by outdated or inconsistent rules.

"Investing in natural gas in homes doesn’t make economic sense anymore for New Zealanders ... Rewiring Aotearoa’s view is that the Government should support a managed transition away from natural gas for the homes and non-industrial businesses connected to reticulated natural gas distribution networks. This would help address inequity for households on low incomes and renters, and provide greater certainty over how quickly customers will disconnect, when networks would likely retire and cost recovery timelines."

Rewiring Aotearoa's submission highlights that successful digitalisation should allow customers to maximise benefits from their provision of demand flexibility and solar and battery exports, without third parties (aggregators or VPPs) routinely taking a cut of the value. Retail offerings that include time of use prices and fair export tariffs will be key enablers of successful digitalisation of the electricity system. Customers need a fair deal through their electricity prices and export tariffs. This means the customers need to have the option to choose from a range of retail tariffs that include time of use prices, fair export tariffs (that reflect the value in the wholesale market) and symmetrical export tariffs from distributors.

Rewiring Aotearoa is extremely supportive of the focus the Electricity Authority is putting into exploring opportunities and seeking views on a more ‘decentralised’ electricity system. It’s great to see the release of the Green Paper seeking views from New Zealanders on the role they can play in the future electricity system and how a more decentralised electricity system should evolve. As the Green Paper explains New Zealanders will benefit from a more decentralised, community-centric energy system through lower energy bills, greater energy resilience, fuel security and lower emissions. However there are some assumptions and emphasis in the Green Paper that we think needs to change

Rewiring Aotearoa is supportive of the Innovation and non-traditional solutions allowance (INTSA) and the development of Guidance for submissions. Read our full submission by downloading the document.

While the potential implications of the Bill are wide-ranging, our submission has focused on the potential implications for the electrification of Aotearoa NZ if the Bill is enacted as proposed. This is pertinent to Rewiring’s work, because one of our core aims is to help reduce energy bills for customers - NZ’s households, farms, and businesses. Significant changes are needed to fix the status quo, and we are concerned that the Bill may inadvertently bake in the existing rules governing the sector.

Rewiring Aotearoa is supportive of the development of Publicly Available Specification for Residential solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage systems guidelines. These guidelines can provide a consolidated and trusted source of information to help households navigate the process of choosing and installing solar PV and batteries. There is some messaging and information in the PAS that we think needs to be changed or added to provide households with the best advice to support them to maximise benefits from solar PV and batteries. This includes removing the focus on pay back periods and informing households about cost savings from day one from solar PV and batteries financed over the life of the system. Households also need information about the potential risks of some existing lease to own sales models which provide little real benefit to households with the bulk of the savings captured in suppliers profits. Download the document to read our full submission.

In a cross-submission, Rewiring Aotearoa has responded to a range of concerns raised by other submitters in the Energy Competition Task Force's consulation.

We support the role that government procurement can play in benefitting every community across the motu. We agree that simplifying and streamlining the procurement process is important, and reducing rules is a logical starting point. However, this should not undermine key considerations and past efforts in ensuring government spending supports long-term positive outcomes. Government procurement can support us to go for growth by increasing productivity of energy, which is a fundamental economic input

Overall, Rewiring Aotearoa welcomes the objectives of this package of proposals. from the Energy Competition Task Force. We view the package as a critical step in improving energy system outcomes for all consumers. We consider retailers paying consumers fairly as a critical step, and we are mostly satisfied with the Task Force’s approach to this (initiative 2C) and think it will create better outcomes for New Zealand consumers and the energy system as a whole. In contrast, the Task Force’s preferred option around how distributors are required to reward peak input from consumers (initiative 2A) will not in our view meet the Task Force’s (or the Electricity Authority’s) stated objectives.

Focusing on the emissions reductions at home through electrification is a major opportunity (and challenge) for Aotearoa NZ. Homes, farms, and businesses must play a role in driving emissions reductions through electrification and the potential must be recognised and addressed to our 2035 international climate change target.

Rewiring Aotearoa believes we need to make better use of our existing infrastrucuture, see customers as an essential part of a 21st Century energy system and that electrification will lead to much greater energy security and resilience.

Rewiring Aotearoa's submission to the Electricity Authority on its Network Connections Project - Stage One is in and it is good to see the Authority practicing its statutory objective of protecting the interests of consumers.

The Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment opened consultation on a discussion document about amendments to the Electricity Safety Regulations to expand the permitted voltage range for electricity supply. Rewiring Aotearoa's submission believes changes are needed to prepare for the rapid adoption of customer energy resources, and electricity distribution companies need to be compelled to allow export limits to be increased.

The Department for Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Ministry for the Environment proposed a topic for a Long Term Insights Briefing entitled 'Everyone plays a part: building New Zealand’s resilience in the context of global trends and our unique natural environment'. Rewiring Aotearoa's submission says energy security and resilience, critical infrastructure failing and commodity/energy price shocks are especially important for Aotearoa NZ’s resilience to future challenges, and farms can also play an important role.

Our ERP2 submission outlines what we think needs to be done to improve the Government's plan to reach our climate targets, electrify the Aotearoa New Zealand economy and build a fairer future energy system for New Zealanders that saves people money and does not leave anyone behind.

There is a relevant saying: ‘Information wants to be free’. While the proposed Consumer and Data Product Bill takes a step in that direction, it does not offer the level of freedom that could be technically accomplished, nor the level of freedom that is likely to unlock the maximum level of innovation.

Rakiura / Stewart Island faces the highest electricity prices in New Zealand. Successive governments have funded report after report and numerous fly-in visits by Ministers have failed to change this situation for the local community. Rewiring Aotearoa believes the opportunity is to harness existing solar and battery technology to deliver significant cost-of-living savings and reduced emissions at scale via electrification on Stewart Island right now. With financed solar and batteries, electricity usage costs for residents could be halved without delay. Rewiring Aotearoa has been engaging with the local community, who have been sending us their power bills. On Saturday 27th April some of the Rewiring team visited Stewart Island (including Mike Rewi who has strong whakapapa to Stewart Island). What we are hearing from this community is many locals fear the proposals and the likely “preferred option” will be focused on replacing current diesel generators, not on reducing the cost of energy for consumers. Our proposal outlines Rewiring Aotearoa’s pitch for an alternative approach to develop a community-led energy solution for the Island.

Overall, we encourage the Commission to think beyond competition merely as a driver for innovation, to consider the outcomes from innovation for the long term benefit for New Zealanders. Rewiring Aotearoa believes one such outcome from market innovation is supporting the electrification opportunity for Aotearoa New Zealand. The Commission has the opportunity to play an active role in driving this not just through the energy market, but also through the personal banking market. It is important that these functions are not seen in isolation, but as a system, to better realise the Commission's role in delivering on NZ’s emissions reduction plan, and 2050 Nationally Determined Contribution.

18 March 2024: New Zealand is one of the first places in the world where electric appliances and vehicles are now more affordable than their fossil fuel equivalents. A new report has shown that, on average, homes currently using gas appliances and petrol vehicles could save thousands every year if they went electric and got their electricity from a combination of rooftop solar, home battery and New Zealand’s already highly renewable grid.

In this future, consumer infrastructure needs to compete on a level playing field with traditional infrastructure – if a $10,000 battery on a consumer’s premises can provide the same service as a $20,000 supply-side asset (a network or generation investment), the consumer’s asset should be selected for the service. However, today there is a systemic bias towards traditional infrastructure largely because it is seen as significantly more ‘dependable’. There are a variety of historical reasons for this. Our primary context to this submission is that many of the assumptions and rationale for this bias are quickly falling away, and DPP4 provides a significant opportunity for the Commerce Commission (the Commission) to reset the assumptions and correct some of this bias.

The EA has the ability to take a leadership role in the energy transition on behalf of electricity consumers. Far more than the Commerce Commission’s oversight of EDBs investment plans, the EA’s network pricing workplan gives consumers agency in the development of the electricity system. When consumer agency is stifled, they will likely have significantly worse financial outcomes on their bills. Much of the necessary changes have been demonstrated already locally or overseas, and the remaining question is not if the changes are possible but if we as a nation will have the courage to implement them on the timeline required to drive better energy transition outcomes for consumers.

Bidirectional charging starts to float down the mainstream in New Zealand; how hot water and EVs could turn cities into giant batteries; Nelson joins the smart 'n sunny club and puts some panels on public buildings; good news as China goes backwards; two new electric big rigs reach New Zealand; and a potential solution for Shotover Jet.

The big solar installs continue in New Zealand at Go Media Stadium and Ngā Hua e Whā, the largest marae in the Southern Hemisphere; rooftop solar closes in on our biggest power plants; the world's biggest battery is switched on in Australia and lots of small batteries play an important role in California; Bloomberg looks at the incorrect predictions on EV adoption and how they're wrong in both directions; it's not just the wealthy countries adopting EVs as Nepal hits 76%; GM gets the record for longest drive on a single charge; and dads like electric stuff.

New Zealand invests in the wrong tech and heads back to 2017; Aurora's doubling of the export limit and what it means for solar installs; East restaurant and Sudima Hotels embrace induction woks and get set to upgrade the rest of its gas equipment; Samuel L Jackson extols the many virtues of wind energy; Jason Gunn goes electric; and the world's first e-bike that can be charged with a laptop cord.

Lowest prices are just the beginning this week as Bunnings gets into the solar and battery game in a big way in Australia with plans for a zero-dollar upfront deal; Port Nelson has electric lift off with its new crane and a new solar powered hybrid cargo ship is launched; Inductive Robotics wants to bring chargers to the cars, rather than the other way around; a new campaign suggests that South Australians are revolting and loving it; and Johnny Solar releases a beautiful version of The Kinks' Lola.

Auckland CBD's biggest solar install shows that existing rooftops - big and small - are an easy win for electricity generation; New Zealand researchers leading the world on solar efficiency; a clever scheme to train up more heat pump installers in the UK; a very early example of loadshifting; and electric school buses hit the road in the US.

Solar smashes a few records and helps the world get off gas and coal; homes, not power plants, are the key to lower power prices; 24 new bus chargers are installed in one day in Auckland; DARPA makes some very special popcorn by beaming energy wirelessly for 8km; and an astronomer discovers an addictive new star gazing app.

Redwood Materials claims a record with old EV batteries used to store cheap solar to run a small data centre; OneEnergy launches a product that puts the sun directly into your water tank; more plug-in solar news from Ikea and Utah; very fast electric boats and cars; and a beautiful union between two star-crossed lovers.

Victoria looks to get off the residential gas with a range of changes, an announcement in the UK gets everyone excited about V2X, why EVs are a good hedge against geopolitical strife, new comparison and switching partner announced (and we have a couple of requests), and it turns out that keeping the emissions out of the sky is a better idea than trying to catch them.

Australia's battery sales take off as Government incentive drives demand; Australia's first urban renewable energy zone is announced; the Whole Story and Hutt City Council launch some electric resources for kids; Germany finds more uses for solar panels on its highways; and predictions versus reality when it comes to solar and coal.

With a classic Kiwi combination of pride and self-doubt, we charge our glasses after another big week of electric momentum; Auckland gets a glimpse of its first electric ferry from EV Maritime; Whakatane finds a clever way to get past the upfront costs and start running on the sun; a big study shows how pervasive EV myths have become even though they are "demonstrably false"; and our misperceptions continue when it comes to fires at battery energy storage systems.