Kia Whitingia - A regional energy cooperative

As the energy sector continues to change and evolve so too do the projects and initiatives that can be accomplished within it. We’re excited to share with you our involvement in the Kia Whitingia project in Manawatu and introduce you to the amazing people and collaborators who are working to make it happen. 

Kia Whitingia, meaning ‘to be shone upon’, is an initiative to support local whānau and marae to establish a community energy sharing programme. This initiative has been granted funds to provide solar to four local marae and five local Kāinga whānau, meaning they can both use and generate sustainable power shared via our energy trading platform.

Energy poverty is a very real issue in Aotearoa. This initiative will not only reduce the overall cost of power but will allow the marae to retain income that it can use in the upkeep of its facilities, ensuring it remains a long term asset for the community and provide ongoing services to whānau, hapū and iwi.

Sourcing local contributors

Involved in the installation of the solar for this project is Clayton McNae. Clayton has been in business in Palmerston North for over 30 years now, and in the solar industry for nine years of those.

It’s a growing marketplace - There’s no stagnation, things are always changing. With so many impending changes in the sector, it’s tipping centuries worth of practice on its head.

For Clayton, it’s always bothered him that the people who would benefit from solar the most are the ones that cannot afford it. He sees it as an amazing technology that is doing so much good out there but at the moment, it’s financially challenging for most. 

So when Clayton was approached by Graeme Everton, the project manager for Kia Whitingia, to become the solar installer for this initiative, he didn’t need to think twice.

It’s important to me personally to see this happen in our community. This project is the first of its kind for us but one in which we can hope to tackle energy poverty.

The marae can generate and share the energy with their whānau and families - There’s a whole pile of gains here. There’s less clipping the ticket for power to move through the country - it’s community-generated power, for the community.

Learning through experience

Clayton’s biggest learning curve through Kia Whitingia has been understanding just how regulated the energy distribution and retail sectors are when it comes to producing and sharing power.

Some of what we want to do here sits outside of legislation. The Electricity Authority understands and accepts that but it's a fine line to walk especially when involving multiple parties - you realise what a regulated space it is.

With these developments, we’re levelling the playing field a bit, to install smart technology solutions that provide energy to benefit everyone. There is a drive to see it happen.

Community connections

For Graeme Everton, his involvement in the Kia Whitingia project began when the government announced the available funding. His marae had previously shown interest in installing solar years before so with the connections made back then, Graeme assisted with the application to get the Kia Whitingia project underway.

Graeme’s role has largely been helping to piece together the right relationships to make it happen and at the same time consult with the local iwi and hapu to ensure they are happy with the process and the outcomes.

For iwi and hapū - there are issues around being self-reliant. Especially in rural areas where power can be an issue. They have always been interested in outcomes that provide a level of independence and this project supports that.

With an install set for five marae and three whānau homes, this project will benefit hundreds of people, making both the marae, the whānau homes and the people they house more financially independent. Graeme also envisions this project helping to improve energy sustainability and sovereignty, supporting marae to become greener and closer to the values they hold.

Future Planning

Once the install is complete, the next stage of the project for Graeme is to distribute the power generated to the families who are experiencing difficulties with energy affordability, helping those who need it most. He’s also excited at the possibility of being able to train whānau and rangitahi to support the future growth of these types of schemes both here and in other regions. 

Despite its challenges, Graeme’s experience through the Kia Whitingia project has enabled him to look to the future of similar projects, knowing that energy can be more sustainable than it is and can be generated and shared locally. Undoubtedly, this model of energy sharing will become a bigger, brighter and vibrant part of the energy industry.

The question isn't how are we going to get started but how are we going to continue this good work that we are doing?