<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/if-theyre-good-enough-for-germany-new-zealand-set-to-beat-australia-to-legalising-plug-in-solar/>
"The New Zealand government has recommended legalising plug-in solar in
Aotearoa, moving a crucial step closer to tapping into a huge new, and
game-changing market for distributed PV – and potentially beating Australia to
the punch.
Plug-in solar – sometimes called ‘balcony solar’ in reference to one of its
most common applications – has been a runaway success in parts of Europe, like
Germany, where it has extended the bill-slashing benefits of PV to apartment
dwellers and renters and others previously locked out of the market.
In Australia, however, it is not yet legal. As Smart Energy Lab general manager
Glenn Morris explained it to
Renew Economy here, Australia and New Zealand
have slightly different electrical standards than the rest of the world, in
terms of the configuration of our networks and safety requirements.
And while various state governments around Australia seem keen on addressing
the legal, technical and regulatory barriers to plug-in balcony solar and
batteries, it does not yet appear to be anywhere on the radar of the federal
government.
Across the ditch, however, the Ministry for Regulation has just completed a
major review into the New Zealand’s solar installation system, identifying a
package of recommendations to make it easier and more predictable for
households and businesses to install solar.
Chief among the recommendations that have come from the review is to legalise
plug-in solar – an outcome the review says could be delivered within nine to 12
months.
“The Report recommends legalising plug in solar because there was no good for
reason for preventing Kiwis using it,” said regulation minister David Seymour
in a statement late last week.
“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.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
