Smarter Solar for Kiwi Homes

☀️ OneEnergy.nz: Smarter Solar for Kiwi Homes

As solar adoption accelerates across New Zealand, many households are asking: “What’s the smartest way to invest in solar?” OneEnergy.nz offers a refreshingly practical answer - start with your hot water.

🔋 Why Grid-Tied Isn’t Always the First Step

While full grid-tied systems with batteries (>5kW) offer long-term benefits, they come with high upfront costs and extended payback periods. Most homes struggle to self-consume solar during peak production hours (11am–3pm), leading to low returns when selling excess power back to retailers—especially when buy-back tariffs drop to extraordinary low levels when solar adoption increases, as seen in Australia and Europe.

Instead of relying on uncertain grid economics, OneEnergy.nz recommends using your hot water cylinder as your first energy storage solution.

💧 Hot Water: The Unsung Hero of Solar Storage

Without a diverter, grid-tied solar systems can’t efficiently store solar energy in the hot water cylinder. Standard cylinders heat in full 3kW bursts; most often when 3kW of solar power isn’t available, forcing reliance on mains power. To avoid this dilemma households have multiple options: over-sizing their grid-tied solar system to minimise the reliance on mains power; fitting a fully featured hot water diverter to allow partial heating using solar (around $2,000 installed); or fitting a battery storage system.

OneEnergy.nz’s approach prioritises the low-cost, high-impact strategy of using your hot water cylinder as a giant thermal battery for energy storage, making solar more accessible and cost-effective for everyday households.

⚡ The OneEnergy.nz System: Simple, Scalable, Smart

OneEnergy.nz's core system includes:

• 2.7kW of solar panels (6 panels)
• Optimized panel orientation (north/east/west)
• Monthly production modelled using third party reliable data
• Optional expansion up to 10 panels
• Electrical connection to your existing Hot Water Cylinder
• Mains connection for mains boosted guaranteed hot water at all times

And when installed to fit to your existing hot water cylinder, you avoid additional capital investment.

Even in winter, households see substantial benefit. And for those wanting more, adding panels or upsizing to a 300L cylinder can boost performance and comfort - hello longer showers !

🆚 Solar vs. Heat Pumps: No Contest

Compared to heat pump hot water systems, OneEnergy.nz’s solar electric solution wins on:

🌱 Affordable Energy for All Kiwis

OneEnergy.nz’s mission is clear: deliver affordable, effective solar solutions that work for real households. By focusing on hot water firstly, households get a smarter, more sustainable and cost-effective path to energy independence.

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