New Zealand rooftop power generation and energy storage

Should New Zealand add rooftop solar?

NZ’s energy advantage New Zealand is in the enviable position of already having abundant hydro power capacity. But with increasingly uncertain rainfall due to changing climate patterns, adding widely distributed rooftop solar would mean the country was less vulnerable to lower lake levels.

How many rooftop solar panels are there in New Zealand?

There is about 200 MW of rooftop solar on residential buildings across New Zealand. The rest is commercial and industrial solar installations, where the business uses some or all of the solar generation on site. Any leftover generation is fed into the distribution network for other businesses and households to use.

Will a solar rooftop system reduce electricity prices in NZ?

Based on the Australian experience, we estimate modest subsidies for the capital cost of installing solar rooftop systems would add the equivalent of 700 megawatts a year (2 percent of the total) to the electricity supply. This significant new supply will reduce electricity prices. NZ’s energy advantage

Can Auckland's rooftops power a solar power plant?

With a total land area of 93 hectares and 63 megawatts of capacity, the solar plant will generate enough renewable energy to power approximately 13,000 homes. We explore how this land area could be distributed on Auckland’s rooftops. The rooftops of 14 of Auckland’s largest buildings have the same land area as New Zealand’s largest solar farm.

Does New Zealand have an energy storage advantage?

Australia’s energy market operator expects rooftop solar (which already supplies almost three times as much electricity annually as gas generators do) will become the dominant source of electricity supply over the next two decades. None of those countries have the energy storage advantage New Zealand has.

Can solar panels improve resilience in New Zealand?

For instance, integrating solar panels into schools, public buildings, hospitals and homes would enhance resilience, especially for our most vulnerable populations. While there are already some projects of this type through the New Zealand Solar Schools Project and Community Renewable Energy Fund, much more could be done.