Stand Alone Power Systems
In many remote areas of NZ the availability, reliability and cost of electricity supplies are major issues. The standard solution is typically to use diesel or petrol generators to meet power requirements in areas distant from established electricity grids.

There can be a number of problems with running stand-alone diesel or petrol generation including noise, pollution and high running and maintenance costs. Generators can also be inconvenient to use. Due to the high running and maintenance costs, continuous operation of a generator may not be financially viable.

Stand Alone Power Systems (SPS), incorporating renewable energy sources, inverters and batteries, can overcome or at least limit some of the problems associated with generator-only systems. Renewable based systems convert energy from the sun, water and/or wind to electrical energy. When combined with battery storage and back-up from a diesel or petrol generator, renewable based SPS can provide a reliable, low running cost and environmentally-friendly solution to the energy needs for people in remote areas.