Solar water heating to be required in new homes

By STUART DYE

The Government will make it compulsory for new homes to have solar water heating systems installed within a few years, says Energy Minister Pete Hodgson.

He said yesterday that heating water took up large amounts of electricity, and solar systems were becoming more viable as the price of power went up.

Although the Government had not yet set a date for introducing legislation, Mr Hodgson said: "Sooner or later it will become a regulatory requirement."

The cost of heating water takes up at least half the total power bill in most homes.

About 2800 buildings a year are currently equipped with solar panels for heating water. Three years ago that figure was 300 and Mr Hodgson said the Government's aim was to lift it to 10,000 annually.

Jeanette Fitzsimons, co-leader of the Green Party, yesterday welcomed the idea but said more needed to be done to bring the price down.

The cost of installation could be brought down by negotiating "solar mortgages" with banks so families could borrow more to build a house with solar water heating because the electricity savings would ensure a way of paying it back, she said.

"The public sector should be taking the lead by installing solar panels on buildings such as hospitals, state houses, prisons and schools." Roger Buck, of Solar Action, said solar panels on his Christchurch home knocked two-thirds off his heating costs.

Though it was a positive move he said the building industry would need time to gear up to meet demand.

But the idea has been treated with scepticism by some. Dr Rob Whitney, of the Energy Federation, said it was a very expensive way to save energy.

Solar heating systems had high maintenance costs and there were better energy-saving methods on the market.

"The solar technology has been around for about 20 years and there's been no particular advancements recently so why now?"

Solar power

* It costs from $4000 to $7000 to install the equipment in a family home. The Government currently subsidises that with an average $450 contribution.

* The building work involves solar panels on the roof and a cylinder for storing the energy in the home.