Plug-in solar for Kiwi homes next year
Shops will be able to sell plug-in solar panels off the shelf within the first six months of a re-elected National Government, supporting more households to lower their power bills, National’s Energy spokesperson Simeon Brown says.
“Making your own power should be as easy as plugging in a toaster,” Mr Brown says.
“Kiwis should be able to walk into Bunnings, Mitre 10, IKEA, or The Warehouse, pick up a plug-in solar panel, take it home, plug it in, and start generating their own electricity.
“Right now, they can’t. Plug-in solar is used safely overseas, but our electrical safety rules were never written with it in mind. That means Kiwis are missing out on one of the easiest and most affordable ways to cut their power bills, especially people in rentals and apartments who have been locked out of solar.
“Since we announced in April that plug-in solar was coming to New Zealand, our Government has been working on new safety rules to protect households, the power network, and line workers before panels go on sale. Government agencies are developing them right now, and we’ve teamed up with Australia on shared rules.
“A re-elected National Government will finish the job, so shops can sell plug-in solar panels off the shelf next year.
“Plug-in solar is just the start. Rooftop solar can save the average household $1,000 or more a year on power, and National’s Home Energy Fund will put it within reach of more homeowners.
“The fund will cover the upfront cost of rooftop solar, batteries, insulation, and heat pumps. Homeowners then pay it back alongside their rates over time, at a low interest rate. We’ll also let homeowners put solar on their roof without needing a consent.
“Together, plug-in solar and the Home Energy Fund will help more Kiwis make their own power, save money, and become more self-sufficient.
“This builds on what we’ve already delivered. Over the past three years, National has:
•Got more Kiwis onto solar, with solar connections up 47 per cent since National came to office and more New Zealanders than ever making their own power.
•Delivered the biggest renewables boom in a generation, with more new renewable generation, including new solar farms, built in the past three years than in the previous eight.
•Fast-tracked big energy projects, with one-year consent decisions replacing years of red tape and eight renewable energy projects already approved.
“This election is going to be tight, and the choice couldn’t be clearer. A National Government that has a plan for more affordable power, including plug-in solar, with no new taxes. Or a Labour-Greens-Te Pāti Māori-Opportunity Party coalition that would put affordable energy at risk, and leave Kiwis worse off with nine new taxes.”
