Reply To: Home Energy Use Profile

[Norman Smith]

Hi Scott, Phil et al,

As some of you know a colleague Andrew Smith and I have developed an NPV-driven spreadsheet which take a hard (some would say brutal) look at PV. This takes into account a myriad of variables which seems to interface pretty well with and generally complement Scott’s perspective.

To me the bigger issue is this; there is a lot going on behind the scenes including a new inter-department working group of Government ageencies looking at PV, EECA internal papers which outline their non-supportive position, not to mention the Electrical Network Assn’s current discussion about development of in:out charges for PV in the interests of equity.

At a time when there is aggregation and major change and rationalisation taking place in the PV industry and with a number of ‘game changing’ financial and technology-driven offerings about to come onto the market from the private sector (e.g. PV to hot water only via a new kind of inverter) and the commoditisation of PV such as the Harrison’s model why is there no serious collaboration betwen CEN members?

At the risk of ruffling feathers has anybody heard about any of this stuff which I come across in my PV work with lines companies, councils and others?

A number of CEN members are now involved with PV or thinking about it and from my conversations its seems everyone is doing their own thing apart from occasional exchanges such as this through the Hub.

I believe the best and perhaps only way for you to survive/grow in PV over the next two years is to get serious about creating some kind of collective entity which pools knowledge and resources and buying power and networks at every level.

Food for thought in Wellington next week?

Cheers, Norman

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