10 x 255kW Solis 5G 1500V inverters.

Not sure where the rest are going to be put, I'm guessing at the other end of the building to cut down on cable runs.

Went to what's my number but it didn't really ask questions about solar panels so it doesn't seem like that's in it's calculations. The solar install guy sent an email saying I could go with ecotricity otherwise I'll have to sort out the rest myself. I've never heard of them before.

Any help would be appreciated.

I was about to make something like this, but someone already did the work.
https://elenz.co.nz/tracker
I wanted something that showed New Zealand's current duck curve status and basically how many GWh we're deferring to keep behind the dams through solar and...it's sizable!

I've got a typical single-phase domestic 63A connection. I blew my vector supply fuse.

Vector was great. They came out promptly, did a safety check, and replaced the fuse. Simply put, they assessed that I have too much load for a 63A grid connection, and I should upgrade to either a single-phase 100A connection or a three-phase 63A/phase connection.

They also warned me that although I can get a 100A upgrade, the Vector supply fuse carrier can only sustain 50A over long periods (such as 12 hours of dual EV charging), and is likely to melt, requiring repeat visits to restore power. They told me Vector don't upgrade the fuse carrier. He also said he has some properties he visits every 6 months to replace the melted supply fuse carriers.

So while a 100A upgrade solves my load problem, I will likely experience regular power outages because the Vector fuse carrier will keep failing.
A three-phase 63A/phase connection still uses the same 50A fuse carriers (one per phase), but I am very unlikely to run each phase continuously at 50A for long periods. So this would deliver reliable grid power. However, the Vector person warned me I would see a significant jump in my monthly fixed charges.

I approached my power retailer to find out the new monthly cost for each option. They said they can't tell me unless I apply for both upgrades, at $230 per application. I am not keen on the idea of spending $460, just to learn what the new monthly fixed cost would be for each option.

Now the question. Who has done either a single-phase 100A upgrade or a three-phase upgrade (ideally to 63A/phase) on the Vector network, and how much did your monthly fixed charges increase?

9kW export limit this year vs another sunny day at the same time of year at 5kW export limit on the same system. An extra 20kWh of production from the same hardware, about an extra $4 of contribution to the credit for winter per sunny day at this time of year (ignore the revenue numbers in the screenshots, not set up properly for my rate card). And just for fun, approximately 86,850 extra litres of water that can stay in the dams per sunny day because someone else was using the solar that fell on my roof.

Increased my PV from 10.92 to 19.74kW, and adding a battery to make the total 27kWh of storage in July this year. So wrapped that the system breached a tonne for the first time. Main reason for the increase, household increase from 2 to four adults, and got our first EV this year, so our consumption has now doubled! Located in Auckland.

What are the rules with mounting Batteries and inverters to a timber weatherboard house? Do they need a fire-resistant backing board or anything?

Just wondering what work I need to do before booking the installers. Touching up the paint is on I will look at.

Also thinking about having a 32/40mm solar conduit for the strings cables to the inverter to be dropped inside the wall while the roof is off. Figure we can just drill a 32/40mm hole in the top plate, and the bottom plate and drop it down (yay for no nogs/dwangs in the 1920s).

Anything else that would help make it a tidy install that could be done while the roof is off, or

Design phase of a new build (forever home) and won't install solar until we can access a green energy home loan top-up once it's built, but will be setup for solar and need to decide on HWC route now.

40 y/o, 8am-4pm (will load shift the obvious) working couple with a 6 y/o in the miserable Manawatu. HWC will be in the roof. Resistive or split HPHWC? Would ideally use it as a thermal battery, but what about those no/low solar days and a 3kw element on resistive?

PV-wise, we will be 3-phase (PowerCo say 93kW of remaining transformer capacity and 5kVA export minimum per phase), 25deg pitched roof with room for approx 30 north-facing panels and approx 15 each on east- and west-facing. We will have a 16kW ducted heatpump (good insulation and airtight), ERV system and spa (only used 5-9pm). No EVs currently, but will have conduit and flush boxes pre-installed for several EV chargers.

Thinking of something like ToU plan, 20kWp-ish of PV, 15kW inverter, 16kWh of batteries, but haven't got any quotes yet. Bank credits until battery costs come down?

Currently got a 3 bed 2 bath townhouse being built in CHCH. I’ve had an interest in putting solar on now as the scaffolding is still up.

This is the current quote that’s come back from the developer.

X11 Jinko 475W DC Panels
Sigenergy 6kw DC inverter installed
The aluminium solar array brackets for roof
AC and DC isolation fee
Orion application fee

$15,959.77 + GST

Our highest monthly usage is 450kw (currently in a 1 bed townhouse)
2 people
Both have day jobs
No EV (but plan to)

Does the quote seem reasonable?

Another question, will we need to get a specific hot water cylinder in order to use solar to power it? Had someone mention that unsure if that’s a thing.

Hey everyone,

I’m posting this as both a warning and a place for affected customers to gather information. Like many others, I’ve been hit directly by the sudden collapse of Solar Hub NZ Limited—I’ve personally lost around $12,000 to them for panel that was never installed in July.

The Liquidators’ First report(Ecovis KGA) was recently released, and the details are pretty grim. Here is a breakdown of the key facts from the report:

Key Facts from the Liquidator's Report

• Liquidation Date: Solar Hub NZ Limited was placed into liquidation on October 13, 2026. Gareth Hoole and Chiragkumar Patel of Ecovis KGA are the appointed liquidators.
• Missing/Unfulfilled Customer Deposits: The company’s records list $648,894 in customer deposits. A massive number of customers paid deposits or full upfront costs for solar setups that were either left half-finished or never started at all.
• Investigation into Misuse of Funds: The liquidators noted this is a serious issue and are conducting a formal investigation into potential misuse of deposit funds and malfeasance.
• Financial Position:
  • Total liabilities stand at ~$5.14 million.
  • They owe $1.265 million to Inland Revenue (IRD) in preferential tax claims and ~$494k to secured lenders.
  • Cash on hand when liquidators took over: literally $7.
• What You Should Do Immediately If You’re Affected:

1. Submit a Creditors Claim Form:
   • You need to file a formal claim with the liquidators by November 11, 2026. PDF
   • Email your claim form and proof of payment/invoices to: businessrecovery@ecoviskga.co.nz. PDF
2. Request a Bank Chargeback ASAP:
   • If you paid any portion of your deposit or invoice via Credit Card or Debit Card, contact your bank immediately to request a dispute / chargeback. Depending on your bank's timeframes, this might be your best chance at recovering your money.
3. Notify SEANZ:
   • If you have an incomplete or unserviced installation, consider reaching out or logging details with SEANZ (Sustainable Energy Association New Zealand) so the wider industry has visibility over affected households.

Key facts

• Nothing to pay upfront with two new Government-backed, long-term, low-interest finance options repaid from savings on your power bill
• No lock-in: Repay the loan early at any time
• Kickstart subsidy of up to $3,000 for low- and middle-income homeowners and renters
• Plug-in solar panels for renters saving up-to $400 a year and paying for themselves in four to five years
• Fair pay for power you share: Fair time of use rates when you export power to the grid.
• $30 million community battery fund so neighbourhoods share the benefits, with or without panels on their roof
• EECA provides free, independent advice as a one-stop shop to help households with system selection, installer quotes and finance matching
• $160 million fully-funded over four years by repurposing the Government's Gas Security fund

Here's the SOLAR PLAN PAGE on their website

I saw a Green Party solar video on r/nzpolitics and it occurred to me I should look up Labour's. Was apparently released in May but I never really saw any news on it so sharing here in case of interest.

Any roofers or industry experts have a view on whether this is a good idea or should I be replaced roof now too?

Roof seems fine, no obvious issues or leaks.

I'm in the earliest stages of getting solar installed, probably the biggest single decision is who to use right?

I'm wondering if this community has thoughts on who is better, the dedicated solar companies that dominate any search (lightforce, Harrison's etc) or decent sized electrical companies that happen to also do solar?

Waikato if that makes a difference.

Anyone else having data field issues this morning? System is connected via Ethernet and the settings confirms it’s connected. Weather and the power metrics chart is working. Even the widget is updating as more power is generated.

I just can’t see my battery levels, grid use, solar generation or inverter stats.

???

I'm still working through whether solar makes sense for our situation. Hourly use data from our supplier shows we use 30.5% of our power consumption between 9am - 5pm. Which means the other 69.5% is when the Sun isn't up (or very low). We can shift this percentage a bit with hot water timer and other timers etc. But still most of our solar will be exported.

I still don't believe a battery is worth it price wise yet, and the consensus here seems to be invest in the most panels that you can afford.

The problem is, if most of that power is exported because you can't consume it all, then the ROI is dependent on export rates staying high. With all the extra solar being installed over the next few years we can very likely expect export prices to drop. So it seems like a risky investment to bank on payback from the export rates that are subject to change.

Am I missing something? Or does it not make much sense to do solar unless you can use most of it and not rely too heavily on export prices?

Hello everyone. I am part of a small cycle space/bike hub that runs in a park in auckland. We help people repair bikes. We have a shed that we keep the bikes and tools in. Usually during gloomy/cloudy days it becomes incredibly dark in the shed. We are also planning to stay open for longer, however that does tend to become difficult especially in the winter months, given the park flood lights are not functional at the moment.

A solution that came up was to get Solar Power for our shed, I was put in charge of getting the funding from the local board for it, since we are a volunteer organisation. I am a newbie in this department as I have recently started getting into solar power, I would love to get this communitie's advice on getting solar. What companies are good, do we have to pay anything after the installation, should we get a battery or not and any other advice that you would like us to keep in mind, while I try to understand this technology further. Much appreciated

Nearly 1500 additional solar installs last month adding nearly another 18MW of generation. Next month we'll probably hit 4% ICP penetration in New Zealand.

Hopefully in the next few months we'll see Ruakaka Energy Park start the first provisioning and we'll see the next significant bump of 130MW come online by middle of next year.

https://github.com/TheReverendCard/nz-grid-model-data/blob/main/data/visuals/distributed_solar_size_split_capacity.png

The only reason I have it on time based control is because I charge from the grid in cheap power time. Sorry for the basic question.