Aotearoa must be more energy-efficient

Ōtautahi - As the days get longer and summer draws near there are many things to look forward to, including smaller power bills and smarter energy use.

Winter months represent peak electricity use in New Zealand, particularly in the mornings and evenings as we all turn on heaters, our lights are on longer and we generally spend more time indoors.

It’s these winter peaks that stretch our renewable electricity resources, keeping us reliant on fossil fuels to generate enough electricity to meet demand.

Currently around 80-85 percent of our electricity comes from renewable sources. To help Aotearoa get to net zero carbon emissions by 2050, New Zealand has a target to reach an average of 90 percent renewable energy by 2025.

An added challenge to consider is the increasing demand for electricity from projected population growth, electric vehicles and the electrification of industry where energy needs are currently often met with fossil fuels.

The solution is a combination of increasing our renewable electricity generation capacity such as new wind farms and being smarter about using electricity with energy-efficient technologies and shifting some energy use to off-peak times.

New smart home technology that is expected to be available in New Zealand next year will help keep electricity use and power bills down in Kiwi households, while also managing pressure on the national electricity grid.

For households with a power-hungry energy, there is extra incentive to hook up to smart home technology because of the potential cost savings. Government agency EECA has a report Publicly Available Specifications for smart homes, to guide householders and retailers until the new market is regulated.