Solar To Play Big Role in NZ’s Electricity Future

Media release

Outlook, Sunny

Solar To Play Big Role in NZ’s Electricity Future
Sustainable Electricity Association of New Zealand Charts its Future

Auckland, 19 April 2012 – Small scale renewables could play a big part in New Zealand’s electricity future, says Brendan Winitana, Chairman of the Sustainable Electricity Association of New Zealand.

“Our industry is vibrant and forecasting revenue growth of more than 170% in the next five years. We are building capability, launching an accreditation programme and an NZQA qualification later this year ahead of an expected surge in employee numbers.

“The opportunity - with sustainable clean-tech electricity generation and in particular solar generation - is global. New Zealand, with a strong research, development and commercialisation of solar based technologies, is at the forefront. The fact that there is more private research being conducted here than public shows the technology’s commercial potential.”

Sixty per cent of industry revenue is earned domestically, and is forecast to rise to 72% in five years. Solar photo voltaic (PV), otherwise known as solar panels, dominate domestic and export sales, with small amounts of wind and small scale hydro generation.

“The domestic market has the greatest potential,” says Winitana, “but there is also good opportunity over the long term in markets such as the Pacific Islands, which have a heavy reliance on diesel generators, and Australia which relies largely on coal fired electricity.”

With the price of solar power technology falling more than 50% in the past 12 months, home generated power is now a viable option for ordinary kiwis and can be justified purely on a price basis.

“The number of domestic grid connected installations has doubled in the last year, and accounts for 90% of all installations. The fact that the technology can work on cloudy days means that electricity is being generated, for use or for sale, even when the sun isn’t shining.”

Benefits associated with self-generated electricity:

• Generate income for owner - by selling excess power back to the grid
• Greater efficiency - electricity generated close to the point of use minimises losses from transmission over lines which equates to millions of dollars
• Security of supply - can play a small but vital role in securing New Zealand’s electricity supply by complementing grid supplied electricity

The future of electricity generation globally is moving from a large scale centralised model to one that is complemented by small distributed generation, says Winitana.

“We expect the same trend in New Zealand. Support from local or central government could accelerate sustainable self-generated electricity installations, and possibly delay expensive investment in building new centralised generation capacity.

“New Zealand is blessed with lots of sunshine hours, wind and water. Support such as mandated payment terms for excess generation instead of voluntary, built in funding processes linked to rates payments and fee free consenting process would make it much easier for ordinary kiwis to make the most of these resources to generate electricity – at home.”

About SEANZ
The Sustainable Electricity Association New Zealand (SEANZ) represents the stakeholders of small scale renewables /distributed generation (SSR/DG) Stakeholders include international and NZ clean tech manufacturers, importers and exporters, system designers and installers, generators - retailers, power distributors/lines companies, energy and technology consultants, developers and researchers and consumers.

SEANZ is tasked with industry development and growth by advocacy with government and is providing a comprehensive and robust standards and accreditation program for SSR/DG systems in New Zealand. SEANZ members include, Alphatron Pacific, Contact Energy, EcoInnovation, EECA, Enatel/Enasolar, Industrial Research Ltd, (IRL) Orion Energy, Powerco, Powernet, Powerhouse Wind, Powersmart Solar, Righthouse, Sharp Corporation, Suntech, Vector, WEL Networks, What Power Crisis.

ENDS

© Scoop Media