14 August 2025
LETS Newsletter No 16
Newsletter No.16 August 2025
Committee Planning 25/26
Photo: Committee members L-R Margarita, Juliet and Dana
Hi Everyone,
Well the new committee have met a couple of times now. The session above was several of us getting to know each other better and then figuring out what we are setting out to achieve in 25/26.
After an around the table chat it’s really amazing to hear how diverse our group is! Just our broad range of qualifications and skills show the breadth of our diversity. In the team we have an engineer, an electrician, a physicist, a botanist, an accountant, a retired heritage architect, several teachers, a criminologist, an IT specialist, a permaculturalist, a glider pilot, business owners, an absailer, a community development worker, policy developers, a singer and visual artists. We have so much diverse expertise to draw on that I feel LETS will be capable of delivering something great for community energy in Whakaraupō.
For the second committee term LETS are going to concentrate on getting a significant project up and running. We will continue to pursue the Lyttelton Recreation Centre Community Energy Resilience Hub plus also explore the possibility of a community solar farm around the harbour. We want to get a fully funded project up and running so that we can expand the benefits of renewable energy to more people around the harbour and demonstrate what is possible.
We would like to be more active with Lyttelton Primary School and Te Puna Auaha to support them with their solar projects. We are also really keen to help upskill the wider community about renewable energy. We will write up small case studies from our own experiences, create interesting art works/installations to create conversations, hold an Open Space Hui and engage directly with the community via the Farmers Market Community Stall, speakers, workshops and various media channels.
Our next Speaker’s event is August 20th with Julie Villard the Eco Advisor from the Christchurch City Council.Eco Advisors can check your home's insulation and provide you with free advice on how to make your home warmer, healthier and more energy-efficient. Her topic is : “Cold homes are not a curse”.
Please book your ticket via this link https://events.humanitix.com/lets-speakers-series-julie-villard
Here is a link to the minutes from our last meeting on July 28th.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MUOP-WFYl0QvmnTIFVWqjDNINuNm2hlT/view?usp=sharing
Plus a link to our next meeting agenda August 25th.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OMg5kLj1cr5251mfx9quCWlHFgIiXM6i/view?usp=drive_link
Hope to see you at an event soon.
Wendy, Dana, Greg, Juliet, Tony, Marie, Margarita, Raymond and Sam.
Coppicing - A Source of Energy
Photo: Everingham’s forest back yard
Coppicing has been a topic that has come up several times since the formation of LETS. It’s a method of sustainably harvesting trees for the provision of renewable energy for home heating. Traditional coppicing is cutting the tree at ground level and then letting it regrow shoots only to cut it again in 5-6 years time.
In my garden I am fortunate to have a ready grown forest. As a way to manage the area and allow new native plants to grow I am constantly trimming trees. I apply both coppicing and pollarding. At times I cut the entire tree, or my tree contractor does to the stump - coppicing and at other times I remove only large limbs - pollarding.
Why do I do this? Well it’s good for the health of my trees and it supplies our household with a source of renewable wood for our wood fire and wet back.
In our household we manage our winter electricity usage by relying on our heat pump fully when the sun is shining. We have a home solar system that powers the heat pump and also connects to the hot water cylinder so in effect while the sun shines this is a free source of energy for our home heating. When the sun isn’t shining we use the wood burner. Nearly all the wood consumed comes from our garden.
It takes a concerted effort to do this. Each year we cut down a selection of trees or trim branches. I use a pruning saw. This work keeps me fit. I have to haul limbs to the top of our property and then saw each limb into fire size pieces. We have a series of wood bins where I leave the wood to dry. It’s left for a minimum of a year. We have found that the wood from our property plus a small amount of larger logs from a supplier and our solar system provides us with cost effective household heating over the winter months.
If you are fortunate like us to have quite a few trees on your property and a wood burner this might be an option for you? In the winter months for a 2 person household we spend about $140 a month on power and $70 in total on firewood.
Photo: Everingham wood bays.
SunDay - Rise Up for a Sun-Powered Planet
This is a new call to action to promote solar power from the USA. LETS is going to join in the action on Saturday September 20th. We will have the community stall at the Lyttelton Farmers Market with the aim to:
- Introduce Lyttelton Energy Transition Society to our wider community
- Share some of our solar stories
- Connect with more locals
- Promote what LETS does
- Have a fun morning
Some facts about solar power courtesy of SunDay fact sheets.
- Solar power is affordable and reliable.Solar energy is the cheapest way to power your home or business – most systems pay for themselves within a few years and the energy they produce can bring your energy bill down.A solar system can provide cheap and clean energy to your home for decades. While traditional power grids fail during storms and emergencies, your solar panels plus batteries keep the lights on when you need them most.Despite solar plus batteries now being the cheapest source of new electricity, and despite the International Energy Agency calling for no new investments in new fossil fuel projects many years ago, big banks continue to invest in new oil, gas, and coal projects.
- Solar energy is the cheapest way to power your home or business – most systems pay for themselves within a few years and the energy they produce can bring your energy bill down.
- A solar system can provide cheap and clean energy to your home for decades. While traditional power grids fail during storms and emergencies, your solar panels plus batteries keep the lights on when you need them most.
- Despite solar plus batteries now being the cheapest source of new electricity, and despite the International Energy Agency calling for no new investments in new fossil fuel projects many years ago, big banks continue to invest in new oil, gas, and coal projects.
- Solar power is good for us.Putting solar panels on your roof is one of the best things you can do for your health and your family’s future – they produce no air pollution or greenhouse gases during operation, improving local air quality and reducing your carbon footprint.Communities that get most of their power from solar energy report fewer asthma attacks, clearer skies, and quieter neighborhoods – clean energy improves lives in ways you can actually feel.
- Putting solar panels on your roof is one of the best things you can do for your health and your family’s future – they produce no air pollution or greenhouse gases during operation, improving local air quality and reducing your carbon footprint.
- Communities that get most of their power from solar energy report fewer asthma attacks, clearer skies, and quieter neighborhoods – clean energy improves lives in ways you can actually feel.
- An unstoppable revolution is underway.Global solar capacity has grown more than tenfold in the past decade, with record installations continuing year after year.The clean energy sector now employs millions of workers globally, creating sustainable jobs and economic growth in communities everywhere.
- Global solar capacity has grown more than tenfold in the past decade, with record installations continuing year after year.
- The clean energy sector now employs millions of workers globally, creating sustainable jobs and economic growth in communities everywhere.
Community Activator Catch Up Event
LETS have been invited to the next Community Energy Activator group hui. This will be an opportunity to update the wider group on our project progress, hear from the other projects, get some industry updates and look at next steps for the group. The Climate Campus have kindly agreed to host us. If you’d like to bring some kai/drinks to share that would be great. We will supply tea/coffee.
So we have some idea of numbers, RSVP to kate.hodgins16@gmail.com
When? 28th August, 7pm to 9pm
Where? Climate Action Campus, 180 Avonside Drive
P Block- the building with the bird mural (near the chickens!) see photo above.
Agenda:
- Welcome and introductions
- 5min (ish) update from each group (identify progress and barriers)
- Any areas where collaboration would be useful to move forward
- Updates from national / regional / local groups (EA, Orion and others)
- A quick discussion around next steps for the group (consider creating sub group to progress areas of common interest)
- Date for next meeting
If you would like to come along please RSVP to Kate Hodgins. If you want to car pool from Lyttelton get in touch with communityenergylytt@gmail.com.
Next Speaker - Julie Villard
Interesting Articles for the Month.
Interesting Articles shared in August include:
The electric vehicle tech set to revolutionise Australia - (& NZ)
https://www.drive.com.au/caradvice/the-electric-vehicle-tech-set-to-revolutionise-australia/
**U**N comment on solar around the world
https://www.facebook.com/100064592777988/posts/1165147198981695/?rdid=h120Jfo31XyG78Et
Why China is becoming the world’s first electrostate.
Dates for your Diary
Events coming up:
Aug 20th -**Speakers Series - Julie Villard - Cold Homes are not a curse**
Aug 25th - LETS Committee meeting
Aug 28th - Community Activator Catch Up 7-9pm
Sept 20th - SUN Day stall at Lyttelton Farmers Market
Sept 22nd -LETS Committee meeting
Membership
If you would like to join LETS and haven’t yet, here is a link to our membership application https://www.lets.org.nz/files/Membership%20Application.pdf
It’s very affordable, only $5 and you’ll be helping to shape the future of Community Energy in Aoteraoa. Thank you.
All members are welcome to sign up to our LETS Whats App Group. In this group we share networking opportunities and informative articles/podcasts. If you are interested please text Wendy 021 0476144.
Facebook Lyttelton Energy Transition Society -LETS
For links to our web page and email please click on the links at the bottom of the newsletter.
Do you have any news or events energy related that you’d like included in this monthly broadcast? Please email Wendy communityenergylytt@gmail.com
If you're reading this online and want it delivered to your inbox, click on the 'Subscribe' link in the top LH of this newsletter (if you're reading it on a screen), subscribe here, or email me at communityenergylytt@gmail.com