Energy
How New Zealand makes, stores and uses electricity, and where the household fits in.
Most of the electricity New Zealand uses comes from hydro, geothermal and wind, which puts the country in an unusual spot: the generation side is already mostly renewable, so the interesting changes are happening at the edges. Roofs are sprouting solar panels. Hot-water cylinders and electric cars are becoming loads that can be timed. Heat pumps have replaced a lot of open fires and plug-in heaters.
This section follows those changes. Pieces here explain distributed generation, smart meters and grid flexibility, storage of every kind, and the national generation mix, always with an eye on what a homeowner or renter can actually do with the information.
Energy: everything so far
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Energy
Distributed generation comes home: rooftop solar and batteries in NZ
Twenty years ago, generating power where it is used was a futurist's idea. Now it is a roof job. What to know before panels and a battery go on a New Zealand house, starting with the roof itself.
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Energy
Smart grids vs "intelligent power networks": what actually reached NZ homes
The 2000s promised a self-organising grid of small generators and clever devices. What arrived was smart meters, time-of-use prices, controllable hot water and smart EV chargers. That is less glamorous, but genuinely useful.