Solar a greenstep in the right direction

As a business owner, saving money is often at front of my mind but at the same time, I try to be as ‘green’ as I possibly can. 

Solar has been a passion of mine for some time now. We installed it on residential properties in both Auckland and Napier, so when we found a commercial site in Shannon, installing solar on the roof seemed like a logical choice to us. With my father already involved in several solar projects around the country, we got in touch with his installers and engaged with them to do the same with our site. 

Due to the technology being reasonably new, we came across a few road bumps when connecting to the grid. When we first started generating our own energy, it was too much for the old network to handle. As a result, some of the equipment began to shut down. A new transformer was needed to handle the increase in electricity, a cost that we had to cover. 

This meant a setback in our plans to upscale the solar on the site, something that we are still planning to do, however, I chalk it up to a learning experience, for both us and the industry. Until there is a total overhaul of the energy sector within our country, we will always encounter problems like these. 

This form of energy generation and consumption is still being adapted and embraced in New Zealand.

Solar is incredibly beneficial for commercial businesses and is beneficial for the manufacturing one who tenants one of our properties. Generating energy at the point of its use is a much more efficient way of using it. There is no need to transport it in order for it to be used, which of course can result in a reduction.

Admittedly, the pandemic has played into our hands a bit. New Zealand has realised that it will have to manufacture its own products and resources; we can’t import as freely as we used to. As a result, some manufacturers will have to change their operations to meet the market. Our tenant now has a more secure future (energy-wise) where they can look at changing their operation in order to make the most of the energy produced. This has worked out for us.

We came across Our Energy when looking for a way to integrate effectively into the grid and find a use for our surplus energy. Of course, getting a better return on our energy generation was important too, something that we found Our Energy could provide.

John, the CEO of Our Energy, has some great insights into the energy sector. I enjoy talking to him about where he sees the future of energy going. One of the best things about being a client of Our Energy is that we are encouraged to think about where our energy is coming from, and where it is going. As a society, we’re already seeing a huge uptake in our use of electricity. With the introduction of more advanced technology as well as the fact that we live our lives increasingly online, there is no doubt that our electricity needs will only continue to rise.

I really like the way that Our Energy makes the user accountable, they’re encouraging people to become conscious about how they use energy and to think about where it comes from

When it comes to technology, humans are always evolving. The use of the horse and cart transformed into the automobile, and while the uptake might have initially seemed slow, as soon as people started seeing the benefits, things changed almost instantly. This is what I envision for the energy sector. Fossil fuels will undoubtedly become a thing of the past when our societies embrace the use of clean, green local energy that can be generated and used at the same site.

When it comes to business, one of my favourite quotes explains how every dollar spent is a vote on how you want the world to be. This makes it more real when you are accountable for everything that you do and encourages us to be much more conscious about our choices. Our energy source is changing the way that we view the use of our energy. People are becoming more concerned about how it is generated, who it is going to and its effect upon the environment. This is the mindset that we need to be handing down to the next generation so that they can continue the work that we have hopefully started today.

Andrew Reeve - Commercial property owner and Our Energy customer.