21 March 2026
LETS Newsletter No 23
Newsletter No.23 March 2026
Committee News March
Hi Everyone,
At our last meeting we met our UC Masters Student Joe Beck. That’s Joe above. He gave our team a presentation on what he hopes to achieve with his research in Lyttelton. He’s looking at small sale energy systems - photovoltaic and its impact on the network and looking to see what opportunities for local energy trading can occur.
To enable this research Joe needs the help of the Lyttelton community. He requires volunteers - with or without solar to share their home electricity useage data and family situations ie single couple, family with two kids. If you would like to volunteer to help this research project please email Joe at joe.beck@canterbury.ac.nz
During the month LETS ran another solar walk showing the features of two solar and battery home solar systems. Quite a few locals attended. You may have also seen Sam and Tony at our Farmers Market stall. Each time we attend we have really good chats about renewable energy.
Here is a link to our February Minutes for all the details on what was discussed
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cAP8jV8GeVyYb_kBOurFPW1z-1mk59p0/view?usp=drive_link
Our next committee meeting will be Monday March 23rd at 7pm.Please note our new meeting meeting place is 54A Oxford Street at Project Lyttelton (The Portal) above the Garage Sale.
See you at our next events.We’ll be running the Garage Sale April 11th 10-1pm and then Sam Kivi will be our bi-montly Speaker Wednesday April 22nd 7.30pm.This is a presentation not to miss. With the state of the energy market just how can communities take agency of their own energy? To reserve your place please register.
**https://events.humanitix.com/lets-guest-speaker-sam-kivi**
Wendy, Dana, Greg, Juliet, Tony, Margarita, Raymond and Sam.
To book your ticket please register at https://events.humanitix.com/lets-guest-speaker-sam-kivi
Benefits of Community Energy
Jenny Sahng from Rewiring Aotearoa was our guest speaker in February. What an impressive speaker. She’s a data scientist and team lead at Rewiring based in Christchurch. Jenny’s presentation was amazing. Being a data scientist she has been able to help Rewiring Aotearoa get all the facts and figures on why renewable community energy solutions are the way forward to create a lower cost, lower emission and a more resilient New Zealand energy system.
With over 100 slides in her presentation she has so much information to convey. We will share a small amount of her presentation this edition and add more interesting snippets in future newsletters.
LOWER COST
LOWER EMISSIONS - switching from gas and petrol to ELECTRICITY
When you are able to switch from fossil fuels to electric for household machines the emission savings over the life time of the appliance are equated to return air flights. The emission reductions are substantial.
MORE RESILIENT
If 50,000 farms can convert to solar that means we can conserve power power from the hydro network equating to 30 days supply. If 80 percent of homes have solar it also has a similar effect. Less power being drawn from the grid can be saved for dry times or days when its not sunny. Solar can add to the grids resilience. If you have a battery that’s even better. For your personal resilience it means if the grid goes down you can still have power.
BARRIERS
The biggest issue with electrifying is finance. It’s quite difficult for many people to afford to switch to electric. Rewiring Aotearoa are proposing that energy affordable loans be available to home owners via the Ratepayer Assistance Scheme. The idea is that you take out a lower interest rate loan from your council and over time you pay that back. If the loan isn’t fully paid when you sell your property the balance is then paid at that date. This seems like a really good concept. There are a few legislative issues to be addressed before this can happen.
SOLUTION for affordability to electrify
Activator Groups Meet Up Again
Every couple of months the members of the first community energy activator group meet to catch up on what’s been happening with their community energy projects. Dana, Pat and Margarita went along for LETS.Here are some excerpts from Kate Hodgins - the Castle Hill Representative so you can get a glimpse of what happened.
“We had representation from LETS, Shirley community, Castle Hill and reports from the other projects courtesy of Hinerangi and Chris. It's fair to say progress has been slow for a variety of reasons, but progress is still being made. Sam Elder also spoke about Selwyn who are proposing to support "Energy hubs" in the district. One to watch”.
“Michael Anderson from Rewiring Ōtautahi talked about the Electrify Expo the team are planning for Oct/November. It's got a real community focus- an opportunity to bring all aspects of household electrification together, along with community based advocates (rather than just sales folk). They're looking for volunteers at all levels and will also be looking for a paid expo coordinator. Get in touch with Michael if you are interested in finding out more: michael.james.anderson@gmail.com”
“Not wanting to waste a good crisis, there has never been a better time to focus attention on the benefits of renewable energy. Sam Elder is keen to organise a larger "hui of the willing" in the next month or so, to work out how we can help our communities transition faster. This could include community organisations, individuals, electricity industry and council. Most likely online”.
Details of this event will be forwarded when they come to hand.
The Draft Long Term Plan is out for Christchurch City. Submissions due by 27th March. Key line items for Community groups:
- $7 million allocated for solar upgrades for Council facilities in 27/28. Worth supporting! If you operate out of a Council facility, get in touch with your local community board and advocate for your site to be included.
Also note:
- proposal to cut Contestable Community funding
- proposal to cut climate resilience funding
- proposal to cut environmental Partnerships funding
Let them know what you think...
EECA Solar Questionnaire
We know those with solar are always keen to show off their apps and tell people how much they're generating. EECA - Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, are asking for New Zealand homeowners who’ve installed solar in the last five years and are enjoying the benefits to share their experience as part of an upcoming campaign to promote solar. And if your experience gets featured they'll gift a $50 prezzy card as a thank you.
All the details are here https://forms.gle/7Qs2n9VThwuLNPPo6 Sign up if this interests you.
Some More Interesting Reading
Last month we profiled “The Wires that Bind”. This month due to further kind donations from Rewiring Aotearoa LETS received another two books written by Saul Griffith. LETS have donated them to the LIFT Library - Plug In and The big switch: Australia’s electric future 2022. These books are available for LETS members to borrow. If you would like to read them please contact Juliet Adams lift@lyttelton.net.nz
This is Juliet Adam’s Review of:
*The big switch: Australia’s electric future*2022 Saul Griffith
This author is one of the most inspiring and easy to understand on a challenging topic, that I can remember! And it’s one of the most important topics in the world, if not THE most important. On Youtube there is plenty of information on the author and his books and actions. For example, the publisher of his books produced this: https://www.blackincbooks.com.au/books/big-switch and I also found this webinar on this book The Big Switch with Saul Griffith | Webinar If you don’t feel like reading a book, you could try these, but the book’s language and information is more aimed at the audience that has not already specialised in this topic, so it’s comparatively easy to understand. Each chapter is headed with a panel of main points, and is full of clear detail, often well supported with graphs and illustrations. I found it compelling reading; after thinking I could just skim read it quickly I found I was reading every word and stopping to think about it! It would take too long to list all the chapter headings and so I’m just going to give you a few direct quotes and urge you to borrow this book, if you want to know about the value of solar energy, and how Australia became a world leader – and much more! “You can use these simple rules of thumb to advocate for electrification:
- Making electricity with wind, solar or hydroelectricity takes one third of the energy of making electricity with fossil fuels, which waste two thirds of their energy content.
- An electric vehicle, regardless of size or type, will use about one third as much energy as a fossil-fuel vehicle.
- For low-temperature heat like domestic hot water and space heating, a heat pump needs only one third to one quarter of the energy of heating the same thing with fossil fuels.
- For high-temperature heat, induction heating needs only half to three quarters of the energy that would be required using fossil fuels.”
“Three million Australians households have a little solar power station on the roof of their house. At 30% penetration and rising quickly, it now seems obvious that we would be the world’s solar leader. Given we have so much sun, an urbanised population, and big houses with plenty of roof space. But it took more than that, and Australia’s solar uptake is a case study in regulatory success. Without good policy that unleashed solar competition, we would not be where we are today. (remember, 2022!)”
“If everyone who reads this book becomes an advocate for electrification, it will happen faster. Your local council and the members of state and federal parliament who represent you need to know what future you want. Do you want billions of dollars subsidising dirty energy in some far-off electorate because it wins the incumbent party a few critical votes, and crazy grid rules that make it hard for people to go solar? Or do you want cheaper energy and a safe climate for your children?”
Dates for your Diary
Events coming up:
Mar 23rd - LETS Committee meeting 7pm 54a Oxford St Project Lyttelton
Apr 11th - Garage Sale Fundraiser
Apr 22nd - Speaker Series Sam Kivi
Apr 27th - LETS Committee meeting 7pm 54a Oxford St Project Lyttelton
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. Donations are also gratefully accepted and are tax deductible. 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
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