Kāinga Ora solar programme awarded for breaking new ground
29 ʻAokosi 2024
The award-winning Kāinga Ora renewable energy programme is leaving a legacy for both social housing customers and New Zealand’s electricity market.
Winners of Energy Project of the Year at the 2024 NZ Energy Excellence Awards, the programme is responsible for installing solar panels on hundreds of social housing homes, introducing new solar technology to the country and bringing a ground-breaking solar trading trial to the electricity market.
Backed by the Māori and Public Housing Renewable Energy Fund, the programme is focusing on using social housing roof space to support increased renewable energy generation and reduce customers’ electricity bills.
Jenny Van der Merwe Kāinga Ora Renewable Energy Lead, says it’s rewarding to see the programme’s positive, long-term impact on both whānau and the sector.
“We’ve installed solar panels on 630 homes nationwide, providing annual savings of $350 - $1000 per year and enabling 2.9MW of solar generation capacity – enough to power around 500 homes,” she said.
“Added to this, we’ve introduced Allume SolShare technology to New Zealand, which enables solar on our complexes and multi-tenant buildings.
The SolShare system at Riccarton Road Christchurch
“SolShare directs energy to where the demand is, while ensuring an even distribution to all units within the building.
“It can increase solar consumption within buildings to around 50 per cent and, importantly, allows customers to stay with their preferred retailer.
“We’re proud that our work has given the industry several reference sites on different networks, enabling other New Zealand developers to install SolShare more easily from now on.”
Alex Baker Sustainability Director Kāinga Ora, says the team knew from the start that the real opportunity was being able to link all Kāinga Ora homes with solar panels into a single energy generation asset.
“This turned out to be a major challenge because harnessing solar in this way isn’t currently permitted in the electricity market,” he said.
“Through cross-industry and public-private innovation, we landed on a ground-breaking solution to this challenge, known as a multiple trading trial.
“The trial allows our customers to continue using as much solar energy as they can during the day. Kāinga Ora collects any energy not being used by the customer and sells it at a higher rate than they could get from their retailer. We can then use this revenue to help address energy hardship among other customers.
“If implemented, particularly at scale, this solution could be really impactful.
“It provides a valuable opportunity to explore ways to accelerate the uptake of renewable energy and make the electricity market more flexible and competitive – to the benefit of all New Zealanders.
“It’s taken a huge collaborative effort from our project partners to get this far, and we’re excited to share our progress with the industry as the trial moves through its first year.”
More information
The Kāinga Ora multiple trading trial is the first of its kind in New Zealand and involves 180 homes in Wellington. Key project partners include, Ara Ake, Wellington Electricity, Intellihub, Bluecurrent and Paua to the People. To enable the trial, the Electricity Authority has granted exemptions to our project partners.
The Allume SolShare system has been installed on Kāinga Ora apartments in Whangārei, Christchurch, and Hamilton, and will also be delivered in South Auckland in early 2025.
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Kuo fakafo‘ou ‘a e peesí: 29 ʻAokosi 2024