New Zealand pv feasibility study

Is PV economic in New Zealand?

Commercial and utility installations were investigated across New Zealand, whereas residential was investigated for Christchurch only. From that analysis, it was observed that there is a group of consumers for whom PV is now economic.

Will New Zealand see a large uptake of PV?

It can also be concluded that if all households make their decision to install PV based on rational financial decision making, New Zealand could see a large uptake of PV when the PV system cost falls below 3 $/Wp.

How much does PV cost in New Zealand?

It can be concluded that the PV system cost needs to fall to about 2.3 $/Wp for the New Zealand wide median NPV to be at zero (i.e. where PV is financially viable for 50% of households), subject to assumptions.

Do solar power sites show a positive correlation across New Zealand?

In other words, solar power sites show a positive correlation across the country. This is somewhat expected since New Zealand is relatively ‘narrow’ in terms of longitude, thus the country will exhibit similar day and night patterns (in terms of solar time).

Is there any variation in renewable output in New Zealand?

The remaining variation in renewable output is the scale of the firming required. It is worth noting that this study should not be interpreted as a feasibility study. Rather, it serves as an indication of the behaviour of solar and wind generation throughout New Zealand based on weather data available to the Authority.

Why is New Zealand getting more wind & solar power?

1.1 New Zealand is experiencing an increasing penetration of wind and solar generation due to the economic viability of these sources. Moreover, such an increase is aligned with the government’s aspiration of 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030.