Timaru solar installer says proposed policies not enough of an incentive

Both National and Labour's solar subsidy policies are not a good enough incentive to get more people installing panels on their homes, a Timaru solar panel installer says

This week Labour proposed it's SolarSaver policy package, which was similar to National's policy, both of which promising a new loan scheme secured against applicants' properties.

Both National and Labour's Ratepayer Assistance Scheme would offer long-term, low-interest loans, repaid through rates.

Additionally, Labour proposed loans through lines companies, underwritten by the Crown, and paid back through power bills. It would also offer $3000 kickstart subsidies for low and middle-income families.

Timaru solar panel installer Terry Patterson told Morning Report he felt neither policy would get many people installing solar panels.

He said $3000 was not enough with the cost of solar for a home averaging between $22,000 to $27,000.

"A normal house would need roughly about five kilowatts of solar. So, you put a solar system in there, so 15, 16 panels, plus the inverter, plus the wiring, change the switchboard if it needs changing... $3,000 is not going to do much to help that."

Labour had also said renters would be able to access the the kickstart subsidy to cover the cost of plug-in solar.

Patterson said plug-in solar was not enough power for homes.

"It only gives you about between 600 to 1000 watts of power, you know, it's enough to probably run a fridge or something like that."

He said battery storage was critical for solar efficiency, especially when people were not home during the day.

Patterson said it was a matter of putting an imported export meter put in and a tariff is then arranged between the customer and retailer.

"If you're not home during the day and you're not using it, all you're doing is you're just sending it back to the grid at, say, 8 or 12 cents a kilowatt, whereas you're paying for your normal power somewhere between 34 to 38 cents a kilowatt."

He said Australia had invested in batteries with around 450,000 batteries being installed over the last 12 months.

Patterson said in his region people had been installing solar but not as frequently as it had been before.

"Most of them are complaining that their power bills are going out through the roof. You know, I had one person where their power bill was well over $1,000 a month."