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SEANZ

SEANZ 11 Conference

We invite you to be a part of the SEANZ Conference 2011 to be held at The George Hotel, 50 Park Terrace, Christchurch on Monday 31st October and Tuesday 1st November 2011. The theme "Steps in the Journey" affects all those wanting to grow and develop our small scale renewable distributed generation (SSR DG) industry - whether you’re a system designer, installer, supplier, wholesaler, manufacturer, integrator, system operator/local lines distributor or power retailer, this conference will help you.

Stay abreast of the latest developments from a range of views – the government’s policy and regulation makers around SSR DG, business opportunities, and the industry association as well as networking with other stakeholders, see who is doing what and enjoy the varied presenters we have selected to help you and your business.

We have invited key players to discuss and promote a better understanding of the challenges and solutions that impact industry. Topics include:
Electricity Authority Commission on "Clause 14"
State of the Industry with numbers on SSR DG in NZ being released for 2010 and cumulative totals with forecasts
Barriers for grid connect and network/system operator solutions
Live case studies of implementations and success stories
Understanding the consumer and business drivers to install SSR
Electric vehicles and BMS systems - opportunity, assistor, hindrance, myth or threat?
Plus more.... including the exhibitors trade show and two fantastic site visits to IRL and Enasolar

Documents and programme download here

This year, on day two of the conference we are taking you on two fantastic site visits.

1. Distributed Hydrogen Energy Systems at Industrial Research Limited.
IRL is a Crown Research Institute, with a focus on innovation in the manufacturing sector, including energy technologies.
Research engineers at the Christchurch site have been investigating the role hydrogen and fuel cells could play in future energy systems,
and potential opportunities for New Zealand businesses. Delegates will be given an overview of the background to the
current status of this work, and will be shown a fully working distributed hydrogen energy storage system, consisting of
electrolyser, low cost hydrogen store, hydrogen cooker and fuel cell.
A brief introduction to other advanced technology activities at the site will also be provided.

2. Tour of Enatel/EnaSolar Factory

Firstly delegates will receive a brief overview of the products, road map and a behind the scenes view of the software that drives most of their sales success.
Then they will provide a tour of their brand new factory where you will see inverters built from start to completion including the new
surface mount machines and the very warm ‘burn-in’ room which gets up to 50 degrees. Enasolar have installed 45 solar panels on the roof to
date to compare panel performance and all of the performance data is made available to the panel manufacturers and installers.

Electricity consumers deserve better deal

Confirmation of overcharging by our large generators is another wake-up call for the Government, the Sustainable Electricity Association said today.

“It is difficult to have confidence in our electricity system and it raises huge concerns over the design of the market,” said SEANZ Chairman Brendan Winitana in commenting on the commerce Commission report into the use of market power by the generator-retailers.

"If ever there was a time for fresh thinking it is now. Clearly, the electricity market has failed to put the brakes on the exercise of market power by the large players. Consumers and the wider economy have paid a hefty price for that failure.”

SEANZ promotes small scale renewable energy. This involves small power sources located within or close to homes and businesses.

“We have said for a long time that there are simple steps the Government can take on the demand side of the market as one set of answers to the problem.

“We support the use of Feed in Tariffs (FITs), a common tool used in dozens of countries overseas including Australia which encourages consumers to generate their own power.”

FITs require a power company to pay a premium above market rates to consumers with their own power sources. The cost is spread over all consumers.

“This is a win-win. Consumers get a faster payback on their investment in solar or wind power and the environment is better off because more renewable energy is generated. What’s more, overseas experience shows that FITs encourage local manufacturers of wind turbines and solar PV. In these difficult economic times that is a great benefit.

“The potential is vast. A UK report from last year suggests that with the right incentives such as FITs, by 2030 British households and businesses could generate as much electricity a year themselves as five nuclear power stations and save 5 per cent of the carbon emissions produced by electricity generation. The Guardian 3 June 2008

“We are not saying FITs are the only answer, but if the Government wants quick results, they are a sensible and simple step to take as the design work has already been done in many countries.

“Now is the time for innovative thinking and bold action, not mere tinkering with the current market,” concluded Mr Winitana.

100% Pure

100% pure

By Brendon Winitana, 14 days ago

Originally published in Articles, page 43

The Roxburgh hydro power station is clean but too lean—we need more

Could New Zealand generate all its electricity from renewable sources within 20 years? An expert says yes

New Zealand could easily generate all its electricity from renewable sources within 20 years with the right support from government, a leading overseas expert in green energy says. “I know the target is 90 percent, but New Zealand could easily get to 100 percent renewables by 2025 and have a more reliable configuration of renewable plants,” says Dr Benjamin Sovacool. “There is certainly the potential for New Zealand to be a world leader.”...read more

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