I’m interested in running my rural home on sustainable, environmentally friendly, power. What do I n
- New Zealand’s national grid is green by international standards, with more than 75% of our power coming from renewable sources. Connecting to the national grid is often the most environmentally friendly way to power a rural home. In very remote areas, the costs of connecting to the national grid can be as high as $25,000 per km. This can make generating your own renewable energy on-site particularly appealing.
The main options for on-site power systems in New Zealand are solar panels, small wind turbines and micro-hydro systems (for rural land with streams or running water).
Solar powered homes are the most popular choice, as sunshine is available in most locations - even where wind or water may not feature. Government or council grants are often available to help offset the cost of installation of the solar panels, but be aware that the batteries and inverters are where the real costs lie.
Most home power consumption tends to be in the evenings, when your system isn’t producing power. It's for this reason that a home’s power storage capacity is important. Battery technology is rapidly improving, but battery replacement still tends to be necessary every 10 years or so. Solar technicians are far from plentiful in regional areas and demand for their services is strong. If your system breaks down, you may be without power for lengthy periods while you wait for technicians or parts.
If no connection to the national grid is available at your property, any power generation systems should be accompanied with a battery for energy storage, and a diesel back-up power generator for emergencies. This generator will support you during bad weather events or when technical issues disrupt your power supply.