Northpower up for award

Northpower network manager Russell Watson discusses advantages of electric vehicles with Spark head of laboratories Philip Ivanier at a recent gathering of EVs convoying from North Cape to the Bluff. Northpower's commitment to EVs has gained the company a finals spot in the Z Energy Transport Award section of the EECA awards. Photo / John Stone

Northpower is one of three finalists in the Z Energy Transport Award section of the EECA awards.

Its rivals in the section are Charge Net NZ and Red Bus.

Northpower public affairs manager Steve MacMillan said the organisation made the finals because of its work developing infrastructure for electric vehicles, or EVs.

"Northpower put in the first EV fast charger in the country in May 2014. We have just tried to facilitate the start of something environmentally sustainable."

Mr MacMillan said about 80 EVs were based in Northland, making it the leading region for EV use in the country.

There are four rapid (80 per cent charge in 20 minutes) and five "fixed" (4-5 hours to 100 per cent charge) chargers in Northland.

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority awards recognise organisations, clubs, schools, individuals and businesses which have demonstrated excellence and innovation in energy efficiency or renewable energy.

More than 100 entries were received from which the judges selected finalists for 10 categories. The finalists include local councils, community and charitable trusts, high schools, sports clubs and university students. They come from all around New Zealand, with one even from Antarctica.

Collectively, the 2016 Award entries will save or generate 1.1 petajoules (PJ) of energy, and avoid 120,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, about one-fifth of the annual emissions of all households in New Zealand.

The award recipients will be announced on May 18.