New Zealand’s Ministry for Regulation has recommended legalising plug-in solar.
The recommendation forms part of a solar regulatory review published by the ministry which covered the regulations surrounding small- to medium-sized solar installations in New Zealand. It follows a review order from the New Zealand government in May.
The report says that while demand for residential and business solar systems is increasing, potential uptakers are facing a time-consuming and frustrating customer journey due to the fragmented nature of existing regulations.
As a result, it suggests a series of changes to remove unnecessary barriers and improve how installation procedures work, in order to reduce installation delays, speed up approvals and remove disproportionate requirements.
Legalising plug-in solar is one of 15 recommendations which also includes exempting accredited installers from inspections for solar installations of up to 100 kW in capacity and requiring distributors to approve applications for solar installations under 10 kW by the next working day. For medium-sized installations under 100 kW, it suggests cutting approval times to under five working days.
The country’s regulation minister, David Seymour, said implementing the recommendations in the report would take the average installation approval for residential solar from about NZD 640 ($535) and three months to NZD 200 and six days.
Further estimates from the ministry indicate the recommendations could deliver net benefits of between NZD 28 million and NZD 50 million over 10 years through lower compliance costs, reduced delays and the use of plug-in solar.
“The report recommends legalising plug-in solar because there was no good reason for preventing Kiwis using it,” Seymour said. “Plug-in systems can be used by renters and people living in apartments who can’t access traditional rooftop solar. If they’re good enough for Germany and the UK, they’re good enough for us.”
New Zealand’s energy minister, Simeon Brown, has welcomed the proposals set out in the review.
“New Zealanders want more control over their power bills and want to harness the power of the sun,” Brown said. “These proposals will help give power back to the people by making solar uptake cheaper and faster.”
In April, New Zealand’s electricity authority introduced a 10 kW default export limit for residential solar and battery systems in a move designed to standardize grid access.
New Zealand’s cumulative solar capacity stood at 836 MW at the end of last year, according to figures from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Its largest solar farm to date, a 150 MW site on the country’s north island, came online in July.
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