Southland Solar Pilot (By Karyn Owen, Venture Southland)
Apr
1
Written by:
1/04/2011
Venture Southland, in partnership with SolarCity, this week announced the launch of the Southland Solar Pilot project. The pilot which is New Zealand’s first regional solar pilot scheme has been launched with the support of all three Councils in the Southland region; Southland District Council, Gore District Council and Invercargill City Council. The goal is to install monitored solar hot water systems on 20 homes and five businesses across the region to show how solar can help reduce electricity costs and help offset climate change. It will also assess options for the establishment of suitable loan schemes to support the funding of installations.
As part of the pilot, there is region-wide consultation with the public on three specific questions about going solar:
1. What are the barriers to the installation and use of residential solar hot water and solar power systems in Southland and how can they be removed?
2. What actions could be taken by the council, the solar industry and others to expand solar power and solar hot water uptake in the region?
3. If you have already installed solar hot water or solar PV power systems in Southland what has been your experience with the technology?
How you can participate - 3 ways
1. To find out more about the initiative and put forward your views please complete the
questionnaire at http://www.solarcitysouthland.co.nz. If you complete the questionnaire before Saturday 30 April 2011, you will go in the draw to win a $50 Ecostore voucher. It should take 5-7 minutes to complete, and having your power bill handy will help.
2. Register for the pilot - we are looking for 20 residential homes and 5 businesses to purchase their solar hot water systems. It's a great time to get a free solar hot water assessment as the systems will be up to 20% less than national solar prices (prices you could see available under a solar saver scheme in the future) and we will be monitoring them over 12 months to provide solid performance data on systems used throughout the region.
3. If you are an Architect, Designer, Builder or Developer, we want to speak to you as part of our face to face consultation. Please contact: karyn@venturesouthland.co.nz (03) 211 1801, or jude.tarr@solarcity.co.nz, 03 539 1764 or freephone 0508 853 853.