Electricity Authority supports rule change to boost impact of rooftop solar

The Electricity Authority Te Mana Hiko is encouraging lines companies to make use of the wider voltage limits, announced by the Government. These new wider limits come into effect later this year and will enable greater use of rooftop solar energy systems to supply power to the local network.

Over time, this will increase the contribution small and locally generated energy resources will make to the network – including those owned by consumers, such as rooftop solar systems.

The Authority welcomes this regulatory change and has issued an open letter outlining how it expects lines companies to bring it into effect.

“In our open letter, we encourage the country’s 29 lines companies to make the most of the new wider voltage limits so all New Zealanders can reap the benefits,” says Authority General Manager Networks and System Change Tim Sparks.

“People with rooftop solar on their homes or businesses and other small electricity generators will see a better return if they can supply more power to the network. But more importantly, wider voltage limits support lower prices for all New Zealanders over the long term.

“Solar energy in particular, is very cheap to generate at certain times of the day. The more the system can draw on these cheap, local sources of power, the lower the costs for everyone.

“This regulatory change recognises the important role consumers will play in New Zealand’s electricity system in the future. There are more than 69,000 residential solar connections, across the country, many of which already supply electricity to the network.

“In the near future, households and businesses charging electric vehicles will also be able to play a part, by putting the vehicle battery’s stored energy back into the network when it’s needed. Consumer-supplied electricity is growing internationally. This regulatory change anticipates a similar increase in opportunities for New Zealanders to participate in the electricity system.

“The letter we issued today give lines companies clear direction on what’s needed at an operational level, so the benefits of wider voltage limits can be realised sooner rather than later.

“Widening voltage limits is a critical step towards supporting a shift to a decentralised electricity system. The Authority is currently inviting people to join a discussion about a decentralised system and how it can unlock more affordable, clean, secure and resilient energy for all New Zealanders,” Sparks said.