WAITATI ENERGY PROJECT

By Scott Willis

Rounding up the Retrofit Rollout

Even since before the Budget insulation has been in the news and now that the WEP Retrofit Rollout is winding up it’s great that a new nation-wide retrofit programme is being established. The whole WEP Retrofit Rollout process has been very rewarding (378+ applications!) and nothing beats the appreciation expressed by someone whose health and budget has improved dramatically with the insulation retrofit. It’s not something that can be easily explained, it really has to be experienced, but an insulation retrofit in the middle of winter really is instant gratification. A big thank you to all who have shared the retrofit experience with us: feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. As you can imagine, the last weeks of June have been pretty mad, and a final round-up will only be possible once all the dust has settled (end of July).

The new subsidies from the 1st of July mean one third (up to $1300) of costs covered for all New Zealanders wanting to retrofit insulation, and up to 60% of costs for Community Service Card Holders. There is an additional $500 subsidy for a clean heat source (further details can be found on our website, or call the WEP).

Renewable Generation

Let’s imagine that the current wind testing (at sites on the ridge below Mopanui and off Double Hill Rd) gives results showing we have the perfect wind profile for a 500 kW wind turbine. Where to from there? At our June 17th OERC-WEP meeting Bob Lloyd, head of Energy Studies at the University of Otago was very clear about the immediate necessity to construct renewable generation. Essentially, Bob argues, as we enter Peak Oil we’re entering an ‘energy crunch’. You need energy to build energy generators: wind turbines and solar panels need to be built now using oil and gas (in fact they needed to be built 20 years ago). In 30 years the world will have half the easy energy we have now and the climate change challenges along with population pressures will further complicate an already very difficult predicament: how to build infrastructure with even fewer resources and many more demands on what we have? Bob offers a clear rational voice when it comes to formulating action on renewables.

In New Zealand we have the best possibility of anywhere in the world to get enough renewable generation up and running and maintaining a sustainable way of life, but only if we act quickly. Could we do it in Waitati and in Blueskin Bay? OK, suppose the tests are in, and the reports are good. Where to from here? The site: some express concern that a turbine might become a lethal obstacle for new populations of sea-birds the eco-sanctuary may wish to introduce to Blueskin Bay (can they dodge trees in the wind at night? Could they dodge one turbine with slow blades?). How would we ensure the gains would be shared equally, and how would we pay for it anyway? Would we go for a second- hand turbine or buy NZ made, such as the Windflow 500? These are all questions to be addressed, and over the next few months the WEP will be collaborating with our partners and knowledgeable individuals to formulate some social business ownership and management models for renewable generation. We’ll also be talking with suppliers about our potential turbine needs and the sites, and we’ll seek to open up the discussion about the merits or otherwise of a community wind turbine.

In other renewable action, closer modelling of micro-hydro has revealed less potential than originally thought (we should have clear information on what we’re doing here in July), while Lindsay Graham is talking with suppliers of photovoltaics and solar hot water units for local grid integrated generation (and reduction of demand). The questions here: Do we have the demand for bulk purchase? What would be the cost per household? Again, if we do this collectively we may be able to use innovative social business models to secure funding for this initiative. Our renewable generation team is working on solving these questions and we have the partners to support our efforts, so if you have a passion for problem solving or a technical skill and would like to play a part in getting the blades turning, the turbine spinning or capturing the solar energy, please get in touch.

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