A Shared Energy Vision; a meaningful connection
Our Energy has come a long way since we first started connecting communities to clean, local energy in 2015. But, a look back on those who supported us from the very beginning is always a humbling experience. We chat with Hamish Littin of Power Technology, who was instrumental in helping Our Energy CEO John Campbell in developing a workable model for the Our Energy we know today.
With experience in the renewable energy industry both here in New Zealand and abroad, I have been a passionate solar advocate and industry participant for well over 20 years.
I am now CEO at Power Technology based in Henderson, Auckland; a company that has been involved in innovative power solutions for 37 years, including solar, hydro, wind and even micro-CHP. However today our main focus is on custom manufacture of solar and battery components for OEM clients & Solar PV + battery systems for commercial, residential and schools.
Each of our completed projects means a contribution towards New Zealand’s Carbon Zero goal, whilst also providing relief to our customer’s wallets as well as the environment. We’re particularly proud of the work we do with our dedicated solar programme for schools - the New Zealand Solar Schools Programme. We’ve worked with over 80 schools to install solar, allowing each of them to enjoy the benefits of this form of energy generation while also being able to provide educational experiences and learning resource support for teachers and students.
We are really looking forward to working with many more kiwi homeowners, business and schools in the near future.
Connecting with Our Energy
My connection with Our Energy dates back to when John Campbell and I met via Callaghan Innovation on a 'US smart grid mission'. Reviewing microgrids and smart energy initiatives together, we realised that we shared a common passion and goal to help our customers maximise their Solar PV energy and enable them to share this energy with their neighbours and wider communities.
It was a novel idea at the time but we were able to quickly develop pilots and move towards a workable commercial model for Our Energy, something we believe is the future of energy trading within New Zealand.
It’s fantastic to see energy generation and control being placed in the hands of your normal, everyday New Zealander. As with any other community project, it tends to bring people together and create a sense of connectedness. People will join initiatives like Our Energy for different reasons but the end goal is usually the same; to create clean, sustainable, shareable energy that is kind to the planet.
Our partnership with Our Energy gives us and our customers the opportunity to support a more conscious energy generation & consumption profile, across New Zealand.
Communities + clean energy = green futures
There are so many benefits to solar. It represents a clean, green source of energy and is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. As a free source of energy, it can enable you to live ‘off the grid’ while causing less electricity loss. On a larger scale, the solar industry helps to improve grid security, resulting in fewer blackouts and is a great provider of jobs and enabler of economic growth. A company like Our Energy can provide people with the energy infrastructure and collaborative sharing within our energy system meaning generation and control is in the hands of normal people, bringing many benefits to the community.
It’s exciting to see that the future for solar in New Zealand is a strong one. Covid has certainly provided a few setbacks but the market is expected to expand as the cost of generation from solar PV is becoming cheaper than its alternatives. The cost of solar modules is also dropping, meaning a jump in demand over the years. This is great news as it means it is now becoming a more accessible option for Kiwis.
We need more large-scale renewable generation to cope with that predicted increase in demand (47% more, according to Transpower), but we also need more individual homes and businesses to generate their own energy and reduce their own emissions.
The Solar Revolution
Around the world, the biggest component of distributed energy is people with solar modules on the roofs of their homes or workplaces. This is a significant opportunity in the future to alleviate the pressure on the lines networks, and also on generation. Something we should absolutely be adopting in New Zealand.
With the forecast of an increased number of utility-scale projects in New Zealand and more businesses and homeowners going solar, we are going to see value by 2025 in the space, with the market well developed by 2030.
It’s fantastic to see the share of renewables in New Zealand increasing. The solar power share in the country is expected to grow from just 0.2% in 2020 to about 1.7% in 2030. Further, due to population growth and the rising electrification of heat and transport, the power demand is likely to almost double by 2050. Such a scenario, in turn, is expected to create vital opportunities for solar power in the future.
Solar is still small in New Zealand. But we think its future is looking bright!
Challenges and advantages
Like any industry out there, solar is not without its challenges. There is still a need for improvement when it comes to its efficiency, reliability, environmental impacts and
reliance on government and electrical authority policies. These things have the ability to limit the industry’s potential but finding solutions is at the heart of what we do at Power Technology.
We are hoping that there will be more government funding to complement the other work on energy efficiency and affordability
Despite some of the obstacles that the industry faces there are also undeniable advantages. However, the reality is that we need regulatory policies that support solar, ensuring grid operators allow for the easy adoption of solar power so that consumers can do what they wish with their energy. This means being able to buy from and sell to whoever they want, when they want and for rates that are mutually beneficial to both parties.
In this way we can support solar without subsidies, organically grow the market and ensure wider adoption of sustainable solar & battery energy.
Looking to the future of energy
Renewable energies are called to play an essential role in energy generation worldwide. As a solar company, our goal is to avoid the reliance on resources like fossil fuels and provide clean energy to as many kiwis as possible and to reduce CO2 emissions that cause climate change. Our company wants to contribute its grain of sand so that the projects we carry out help to generate energy from the sun and thus contribute to energy transition for New Zealand.
To produce, consume and manage our own energy locally is one of our goals. To empower people as well as companies and institutions to become energy producers and consumers within a more decentralised energy system.
Connecting with companies like Our Energy means we can work towards collaborative sharing in our energy system. Our Energy is changing the playing field by providing ordinary people with ownership of energy infrastructure – something that is still very unusual today and particularly here in NZ but something we are proud to be a part of.
For those considering installing solar or switching to a non-traditional power supply like Our Energy I would say: Do it!