Photovoltaic solar power uptake in New Zealand

The GREEN Grid project is investigating the impact of solar power generation from photovoltaics (PV) connected to the low and medium voltage distribution networks. One of the goals of this research is to provide guidelines for adoption of PV in New Zealand, and modelling tools and techniques for distribution companies to better understand its impact on power quality within their networks. While collecting data from PV sites around New Zealand and considering how modelling in the distribution network should be conducted, the question of just how much PV is installed in New Zealand was asked. This paper presents the findings of a survey of 12 distribution company areas covering about 80% of New Zealand's population. It discusses the findings in the international context, and how PV might develop in the future in New Zealand. To obtain some idea of the adoption of PV in the future, and what the eventual installed capacity of PV might be, the Bass Diffusion Model, used to study new product diffusion, has been applied to the uptake data.

Photovoltaic solar power uptake in New Zealand Conference Contributions