It’s time for a solar revolution

Checking out progress on the solar panel project is, from left; Tūwharetoa Health Charitable Trust staff Tina Tahi and Monica Duff, and solar project participant Marina Marshall. Photo / Supplied

It’s the ultimate act of neighbourly love - the gift of a hot shower.

This story is all about sharing power and centres around a trial by The Lines Company (TLC) that will see neighbours generate power with solar panels to run their homes and use the excess to heat their neighbours’ hot water cylinders.

TLC chief executive Mike Fox said the project essentially turns hot water cylinders into batteries by storing energy.

Three homes have had solar panels installed, generating enough power to run the house during the daylight hours. Excess energy is then given to neighbours via the existing powerlines and used to heat hot water cylinders at three neighbouring homes.

A fourth home with solar panels has been paired with two recipient homes that will have new energy efficient heat pump hot water cylinders installed as part of the project.

The pilot project is funded by the Ministry for Business Innovation and Employment MBIE, with support from Tūwharetoa Health Charitable Trust (THCT) and Maru Energy Trust (Maru).

One of those who had their house fitted with solar panels is Marina Marshall. She had them installed three months ago so was not sure of the impact but was hoping for cheaper power bills.

“We have actually got three generations in my house because we have got my daughter and her two children so it will benefit all of us.

“Just lucky to be one of the chosen few to get it ... it is about $25,000 that you are actually getting so I am very grateful for that.”

She now had 16 solar panels on the roof, generating close to 6kw, which was more than enough to power the biggest appliances and the neighbour’s hot water cylinder.

“Once this year is up then we get to have the power in which way we want to ... We can’t store it ourselves because we don’t have a battery but we could sell it back to the power company or give it to someone else.”

Hot water heating accounts for about 30 per cent of household electricity costs.

THCT chief executive Willow Salvador says the benefits of the whānau-based energy solution extend beyond cost savings and into health-related outcomes.

“Tuwharetoa Health has been delighted to be able to provide tautoko (support) to the nine whānau to take part in this programme of sustainable energy solutions that will benefit their whānau hauora.”

TLC chief executive Mike Fox said the project was designed to share energy when solar gains are at their highest, with energy from the solar panels exported to recipient households to heat hot water cylinders.

“This is an automated process, essentially turning hot water cylinders into battery storage.”

He said an optimisation tool called PowerGenius was combined with a peer-to-peer trading platform that allows energy sharing across households.

“It will reset how solar energy can benefit those living in public and Māori housing.”

Using stored energy in the form of hot water heating would also help smooth out electricity demand, reduce peak-rate consumption, make the most of the sun’s natural resource, improve health and well-being, share a sustainable low-cost clean energy solution, and enable customers to access the trading benefits of new technology, Fox said.

Project manager Kyle Barnes said they were using power company Ecotricity, which specialises in renewable energy and using power generated by its customers’ solar panels.

Barnes said the last house in the pilot project would be fitted with solar panels this week.

He said it was their hope that the pilot project would prove its worth and be picked up on a wider scale around the country.

“Overseas this has been done, but not really in New Zealand.”

He paid credit to Mike Fox, the new CEO.

“He’s really excited about this stuff. Everyone else is just putting in more lines and poles, and here we are trying to do something different.”