Hubands Energy Award Winning Off Grid Solar System
SEANZ Best Off Grid Implementation Award (Runner Up)
In partnership with Northpower, we teamed up to carry out a complete upgrade of the rangers house on Matekohe Limestone Island in Whangarei. The only power on the island was a small and very dated 12V off grid system that was now failing to provide power for the ranger and his family living there. Running power cables from the mainland to the island was going to be far too costly so an off grid solution was the perfect answer to this challenging question.
Due to our close ties with Northpower over the years, they approached us to completely overhaul the existing system and install a solution that would suit not only this family but new families well into the future. The Island is only accessible by boat so it was a pleasure to have the ranger and his family ferry all the equipment and our installers across every day. After removing the old 12V system we began work on installing the new system and we also had some of Northpower’s own junior contractors on site to give us a hand when needed.
Our assessment found that a lot of their power usage was during daylight so we designed an AC coupled system using the Selectronic Inverter/Charger with a Fronius Inverter which gives them the best self consumption during the day from the solar panels. Excess energy is then fed into a Powerplus Premium lithium battery bank and we also installed a Honda AutoStart generator as a backup for when the weather is really bad for days on end.
The new system has proven to be incredibly reliable and has catered for the rangers perfectly. We were delighted to be part of this project as the conservation and education work they do on Matekohe Limestone Island is invaluable to our community. Having a proactive network company like Northpower has made a huge difference to the work we do here in Northland and we are very excited about the future of solar in our small slice of paradise.
The SEANZ Industry Awards acknowledge excellence, innovation, and a high standard of performance which took place at the SEANZ Tomorrow's Energy Today Conference on the 2nd July, 2021.
SEANZ Fronius New Zealand Sustainable Energy Industry Awards 2021
SEANZ was delighted to announce this year’s Fronius Energy Award winners at the organisation’s Tomorrow's Energy Today conference on the 2nd of July in association with Taspac Energy. 
The awards recognise and celebrate the businesses pushing the boundaries within the solar industry to provide cutting edge technologies, deliver outstanding products and service, and create a positive impact on our communities and the environment.
SEANZ Chairman Brendan Winitana says every year he’s impressed by the industry’s drive to raise the bar and continually strive to develop the country’s Distributed Energy Resource capability. “From an off-grid installation on the Kayangel Atoll in Palau, providing the remote community with a clean, affordable energy solution to a largescale floating solar plant installed on previously unusable land, this year’s winners have been standout, says Winitana.
He adds, We’ve also seen outstanding innovation with an energy management and billing solution that lets multi-tenancy developments utilise shared central services, reducing the capital and operational cost of services.” The award winners were announced at the industry dinner that took place at the SEANZ annual conference, which brought together the key players across sectors who can lead the drive toward a resilient and 100% renewable energy system. This year’s event featured a two day program encompassing educational and best practice technical workshops, new technology and product showcases, innovative case studies and a session with the Minister of Energy and Resources, Hon Dr Megan Woods.
Award Categories:
- Best off-grid renewable system
- Best grid-connected renewable system
- Dave Keppel Innovation Award - Most Innovative new technology/product/initiative/process/campaign or service
- Best Small Business – For Tier 1 & 2 Sustaining Members Only
- Best Environmental Impact - Implementation that integrates PV, Storage, Energy Management, any other associated tech, for best environmental outcomes
- Best large business
- Best Community Energy Project - Recognises a community-based implementation in NZ and the Pacific Islands that most benefits the local community
To find out more click the link below:
https://www.seanz.org.nz/seanz_awards2021