The Eye Surgery Hastings Transitions To 100% Renewable Energy In The Wake Of Cyclone Gabrielle

The Eye Surgery Hastings, a leading medical facility in New Zealand, has proudly announced its successful transition to 100% renewable energy in partnership with SMA Australia and Ecoefficient Solutions.

The surgery has installed a state-of-the-art 50kWh solar panel photovoltaic (PV) system, accompanied by a robust 43kWh Lithium-Ion battery storage solution.

The Eye Surgery Hastings’ journey towards clean energy comes in the wake of the devastating natural disaster, Cyclone Gabrielle, which highlighted the critical need for decentralised energy infrastructure in the region, with some households left without power for up to 21 days.

The facility’s transition to clean energy has led to lower electricity bills and future-proofed the business by ensuring immunity to power price increases and generating additional income via surplus energy generation.

Since implementing the 100% renewable energy transition, the surgery has witnessed substantial savings on electricity bills, making healthcare services more cost-effective for both the facility and its patients. This reduction in operational expenses has allowed the facility to allocate resources towards improving patient care.

The surgery has gone a step further by power-sharing excess energy generated on-site with New Zealand’s first peer-to-peer solar local network: the Te Rehe solar network.

They have also embraced new approaches to conducting business, such as shifting energy-intensive applications to daytime hours, making them both cost-free and zero-emission.

In recognition of its outstanding efforts, The Eye Surgery Hastings has been named the Health Care Climate Champion for the Pacific region by Global Green and Healthy Hospitals and has also been honoured with gold standard level Health Care Climate Action awards in Climate Leadership and Climate Resilience.

Patrick Duignan, Vice-President Home Commercial & Industrial at SMA Australia, said the transition to 100 per cent renewable energy sources at The Eye Surgery Hastings exemplifies how renewable energy can be adapted to suit a business’s changing needs.

“The Eye Surgery Hastings began its journey to a carbon-neutral, decentralised system with an SMA PV system with the Sunny Tripower CORE1 inverter 18 months ago, before expanding the system to also integrate battery storage and better meet its requirements by installing Sunny Island battery inverters and a battery,” said Mr Duignan.

“This ability to seamlessly adapt solar technology to suit a business’s growing needs is an example of another benefit of switching to renewable energy systems, in addition to the incredible environmental and economic advantages."

Shaun Andrews, founder of Ecoefficient Solutions, added: "We are thrilled to have partnered with The Eye Surgery Hastings and SMA Australia in their transition to renewable energy. This project showcases the incredible potential of clean energy to provide stability, sustainability, and reliability. We’re proud to be at the forefront of sustainable energy solutions, paving the way for a cleaner, more resilient future for New Zealand.”

The Eye Surgery Hastings co-founder Dr Alex Buller expressed the profound impact of Cyclone Gabrielle on the centre’s decision to shift towards clean energy.

"Cyclone Gabrielle served as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities in our energy infrastructure. Witnessing some households left without power for up to 21 days was a serious wake-up call. It underscored the urgent necessity for investment in decentralised energy, and we recognised the critical role renewable energy could play in safeguarding our operations. This disaster fuelled our determination to transition to clean energy, ensuring the reliability and sustainability of our facility even in the face of such adversity."

With more and more businesses choosing to make the shift to clean energy, SMA Australia is keeping a close eye on the leaders of the coalition - the National Party - and their election commitment to ‘turbo-charge new renewable power projects including solar, wind and geothermal

“We are very supportive of any government commitments or initiatives that encourage the uptake of renewables and help tackle the climate crisis,” said Patrick Duignan from SMA.

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