Sharlene Wells and her three children had a markedly different experience of Cyclone Gabrielle, thanks to the hybrid solar system which was installed at their home in May of last year.
Sharlene Wells and her three children had a markedly different experience of Cyclone Gabrielle, thanks to the hybrid solar system which was installed at their home in May of last year.
Northland’s recent widespread and persistent power outages have driven a “definite hike in interest” in solar systems from fed-up residents seeking self-sufficiency.
That’s according to Far North Solar Systems and Laser Electrical Kaitāia owner-director Sharlene Wells, whose family was spared the frustration endured by thousands thanks to her late husband Abe’s vision regarding the potential of solar power.
Because of their hybrid system - which is connected to the grid but also has a battery bank - life carried on as usual, with a working fridge and freezer, lights, water and devices.
“Even in that storm, we were still generating power and pumping it back to the grid,” Wells said.
“Hybrid systems are the middle ground. You can reduce power bills and still have your batteries for back-up in an emergency.”
People seeking such security - and indeed, abundance - have recently called Wells’ team in Kaitāia and Laser Electrical Whangārei by the dozens.
Power outages resulting from Cyclone Gabrielle, as captured by Top Energy.
Wells said Kaitāia’s location relatively far from the grid meant energy customers were paying high transmission rates and therefore stood to save the most with solar power, and the Far North in general was literally “very well-positioned” for solar power.
A Top Energy spokesperson confirmed that prices per kilowatt hour in the region were the highest, based on May 2022 prices.
According to a 2022 consultation document exploring renewable energy zones by Transpower, Northpower and Top Energy, “Northland has an abundance of solar resource, with most parts of the region receiving about 2000 hours of sunshine per year”.
Kristin Gillies of the Sustainable Energy Association of New Zealand said Northland’s high electricity prices, paired with the relatively good amount of sunshine, made for a beneficial combination in terms of payback time on solar systems.
TJ Beatson, who specialises in sales at Far North Solar Systems, recently travelled to Te Hāpua - the country’s northernmost settlement - to visit residents desperate for an alternative following prolonged power cuts.
“The people I met had been without power for four or five days and lost freezers full of meat, after being promised they wouldn’t be affected that long.”
“They’ve heard this year after year. They’re sick of the unreliability.”
Beatson also observed an increased demand for batteries, as solar system owners sought the ability to store the power they generate for complete self-sufficiency.
“They’re understandably just wanting to get it into their own hands and get right off the grid.”
“That would be a lot easier if there were a Government subsidy to support them.”
Most banks currently offer “green loans” for which solar systems would qualify, and Far North Solar Systems’ partnership with a finance company also supported accessibility.
Laser Electrical Whangārei co-owner Steve Pascoe said he could see the potential of solar systems, so recently took a learning opportunity in Kaitāia, observing the installation of a system at the Matthews Ave workshop.
“I think the hybrid system with battery back-up will potentially be more appealing now, because people lost power for a long time,” Pascoe said.
“Even in Whangārei, places that never lose power lost it for days.”
Outages also resulted in generator sellouts throughout Northland, which impacted Pascoe’s business in the form of calls from people seeking to install generator changeover switches.
“But if you had a hybrid system, you wouldn’t need a generator at all.”
“Rather than spending $12,000 on a unit and installation, you could invest in solar and save on power costs immediately.”
J.A. Russell Ltd is the county’s largest electrical wholesaler and Far North Solar Systems’ supplier of solar panels, racking, inverters and batteries.
According to its national renewable energy manager, Jeff Albert, solar was currently “booming”.
The Electricity Authority Te Mana Hiko is the independent Crown entity responsible for the governance and regulation of New Zealand’s electricity industry.
According to a spokesperson, all electricity generated by solar to be used at or near where it’s produced - including small and medium-sized enterprises, commercial, industrial and residential enterprises - rose by 34.7 per cent in 2022, from 191.013MW to 257.325MW.
The last calendar year also saw the highest increase in residential solar - a 33.2 per cent jump - since record-keeping began in 2013.
The figures for Northland tell a comparable story, with a 29.3 per cent increase in residential solar and growth of 34.6 per cent across the board.
A Top Energy spokesperson described the trend towards solar power in Northland as “strong for some time”, and said “the region has the highest penetration of network-connected rooftop photovoltaic generation in the country, and it continues to grow monthly”.
Albert also said the increase in off-grid systems could not be measured, making the true scope of solar growth impossible to quantify.
He believed New Zealand was “on the cusp of hitting an exponential growth curve, going straight up.”
“This is where Australia was about 10 years ago, so many Aussies recognise the opportunity and are eyeing the income potential ahead here.”
Renewable energy also stands to become a hot election topic, with the National Party recently announcing plans to - if elected - double the amount of renewable electricity produced by solar, wind and geothermal systems by cutting consenting red tape and increasing investment in infrastructure.
The late Abe Wells and his wife Sharlene, both born and bred in Kaitāia, bought Laser Electrical in 2015. Abe had the vision to expand into solar hot on his mind.
As for Abe Wells’ vision for solar in the Far North, Sharlene remained committed to seeing it through as the only locally based solar company.
“We pride ourselves on transparency. And our accredited technicians are paid an on-call allowance, so they’re available when they’re needed.”
