Kia ora folks!

We’re making like electrons and getting into motion at the Queenstown Electrification Accelerator, our locally-led electrification initiative backed by Rewiring Aotearoa, Destination Queenstown, Queenstown Lakes District Council, Central Lakes Trust, EECA, and Ara Ake. From energy audits to solar maps, big trials to household solar advice, there’s been a lot happening.

Key links:

• Tonight: We’re presenting at Sustainable Queenstown’s Green Drinks at the Sudima in Frankton​
• This Saturday at Remarkables Market: Free EV test drives & pancakes​
• Join the QEA Community Group on Facebook​
• ​Register your interest for NZ’s biggest Vehicle-to-Grid trial
• See how many solar panels are on your street with our Solar Street Map​
• Use our solar quote comparison tool to help you compare install quotes
• ​See how we can support your business on your electrification journey
• ​Check out this step-by-step guide we’ve made on the ins and outs of electrifying your fleet.
• Fill out the expression of interest for group discounts on electric appliances
• ​Watch the video of a local who’s electrified their house, and see how we can help homes electrify​

Free EV test drives at this Saturday’s market & more

If you want to connect with other 'electrons' in the area, there are two events you need to be at this week.

Tonight, Sustainable Queenstown’s Green Drinks at the Sudima in Frankton is all about saving money through smart energy choices. You'll get to hear from some of the local electric scene's VIPs, like Trent Yeo, Pierre Marasti and Toni Glover and they'll talk about the benefits of electrifying their homes and businesses. The QEA team will run through what free assistance they can offer - from fleet upgrades to solar financing options - and there will also be sparkies and solar installers to answer your questions.

On Saturday, the Remarkables Market will be hosting an electric vehicle showcase called ‘Plug in and Pancake.’ You'll be able to chat to EV owners (including members of the QEA team), take a test drive, check out a number of new models, like the fully electric Riddara ute, and even get yourself a pancake cooked by a car. All free, no rego required, just show up. What a time to be alive!

It will be a great opportunity to get your questions answered about costs, charging or batteries - and, for those who have never been in an EV, a great opportunity to experience how much fun they are.

We’ve also set up a QEA community group on Facebook so you can stay plugged in after the events.

Launching New Zealand’s biggest vehicle-to-grid trial

One day the largest power station in the country could be parked in our driveways. The potential of vehicle-to-grid is immense. In a future where most cars are electric, just half of the vehicles owned by households in New Zealand could together output more capacity than all of the nation's power stations combined. Business fleets, buses, trucks and more can add to this further. Tapping into even a small percentage of this potential could make our electricity system more affordable, efficient and resilient and we’re getting set to launch the country’s biggest vehicle-to-grid trial in collaboration with EECA.

The project will trial V2G in a selection of homes and businesses and aims to understand how the technology can be used to integrate into the everyday lives of New Zealanders to save them money, provide the energy system with more security, and be a source of backup resilience in the case of emergencies.

This trial will involve co-operation by NGOs, local lines company Aurora, retailers, charging providers, vehicle suppliers and the local community. It’s open to multiple vehicle types, homes and businesses.

​Register your interest in the project here.

Solar Streets map

One of the greatest motivators for getting solar on your roof is seeing that your neighbour has. Known as the ‘neighbourhood effect’, research shows that seeing others adopt rooftop solar increases nearby installations, so we’ve created a Solar Streets map so you can see just how many people in the region have solar. Thanks to Aurora for leading the charge on this and providing the data.

Solar quote comparison tool

We’re doing all we can to add to that solar street map by helping homes and businesses get solar installed, whether that’s analysing quotes and assessing suitability on properties or creating resources like solar for renters. We’re also assisting Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust to explore the potential for solar on rental homes in Tewa Banks.

However, not all solar quotes are created equal and the whole process can get complicated. That’s why we’ve created the solar quote comparison tool so you can be sure you’re comparing apples with apples. It’s all about having the right information so you can make an informed decision with confidence.

Other things we’re working on

We’re pushing hard to make Queenstown the world’s most electric destination. It’s an ambitious goal, but we need more ambition these days and upgrading our homes, businesses and vehicles to electric equivalents makes sense for the economics, for the emissions and for the energy security.

Business electrification analyses

We’ve been helping a range of businesses in the region - large and small - weigh up the options and we’ve done a number of energy audits and feasibility studies to show just how well going electric and investing in solar and batteries would stack up over the long-term. As energy prices increase - whether gas, petrol or grid electricity - there is growing interest in electrification across the business spectrum. And if the region hopes to reach its climate targets, there is a growing realisation that we have to electrify as many of our fossil fuel machines as possible.

Battery modelling

Batteries have also been a hot topic, and they’re especially important in a region like Queenstown, which often deals with peak load problems and is very vulnerable to natural disasters. Batteries basically remove homes and businesses from those peaks and reduce strain on the grid, and they can also keep things running in the case of an emergency. We’ve done a few business cases for different sized organisations and, with prices continuing to drop, there’s a compelling argument. See what we can do to help your business here.

Solar for Schools

We’re also developing a Solar for Schools programme and the analysis is currently being carried out for Remarkables Primary School.

Community charging network

While most EV owners primarily charge cheaply at home and fast charging offers more costly convenience, we think there needs to be something in the middle. That’s why we’re scoping out a community charging network. It is hoped charging will cost less than 40c/kWh (fast chargers are more than double that) and any profits would go back into the community.

Electrify your fleet: step-by-step guide

Many Queenstown businesses rely on fossil fuel vehicles - especially in the tourism sector. But with changes to the Road User Charges scheme expected to come into play next year that will make hybrids more expensive, smart new charging technology that can help manage the process for employees, and a larger range of vehicles available (from fully electric utes, to big electric buses, to passenger cars that are now at price parity with petrol cars), there’s never been a better time to explore the benefits of a fleet upgrade. It’s not just good for the planet, it’s smart for business, with lower running and maintenance costs, reduced emissions, and a future-ready brand. Check out this step-by-step guide we’ve made on the ins and outs of electrifying your fleet.

All for one, one for all: group discount expressions of interest

While V2G is still a relatively new technology that is still being tested and refined, other technologies like solar, batteries and heat pumps are well and truly proven. When a household electrifies, they open up a range of financial, health and environmental benefits. When a community electrifies, that impact can be exponential: lower emissions, cleaner air, a supported local economy and more collective power.

That’s why we’ve also put up an expression of interest for group discounts on electric appliances and products on our website. Let us know what you might be interested in buying, and this will give us something to take to suppliers. When we can prove there’s enough demand, we’re more likely to be able to strike a good deal.

Community spotlight: Trent Yeo’s home in Arrowtown

It’s great to see more locals experiencing the benefits of going electric and embracing solar and batteries. Trent Yeo, the founder of Ziptrek Ecotours and one of the region’s most enthusiastic electrifiers, is one of those people.

His relatively small but perfectly formed house in Arrowtown, which he says was around 15 years in the making, was built with passive house principles, so it requires much less energy to run than a standard home. It also features efficient electric machines and a sizeable solar and battery system.

That combination adds up to much lower bills (possibly $0 for the whole year as he can export excess energy, and that includes charging two EVs), greater resilience (both from volatile energy prices and natural disasters), and better air quality (which is an important consideration in his often smokey hometown of Arrowtown).

As energy prices continue to rise, more New Zealanders are figuring out that they can do what Trent has done, invest upfront in the right technology, and save thousands every year. Getting off foreign fossil fuels and embracing locally-made electrons - from the grid and from your own rooftop - is a proven way to reduce costs, reduce emissions and, as we saw after the big storm recently, increase resilience. It's not about sacrifice, it's about substitution.

As he says: "Every day all of us can do better in work and play."

​Watch the video, and see how the QEA team can help homes electrify.

Thanks for reading, hope to see you this weekend for some EV-cooked pancakes!

Sincerely,

The QEA team