Waikato Herald

Solar energy project earns award, helps community

Initiative a collaborat­ion between The Lines Company and Te Nehenehenu­i

Accolades keep coming for a collaborat­ive King Country energy initiative which has deployed solar energy on two local marae. Alongside Te Nehenehenu­i, The Lines Company (TLC) won the Best Community Energy Project at the Sustainabl­e Energy Associatio­n of New Zealand (SEANZ) Awards on Friday.

It’s the second time the project has been nationally recognised, having won the Community Initiative of the Year at the 2023 New Zealand Energy Excellence Awards.

The project between The Lines Company and Te Nehenehenu­i (Ngā ti Maniapoto) has seen solar panels installed on the Māniaroa Marae north of Mō kau and the Taarewaang­a Marae in Ō torohanga.

The solar energy powers the entire marae infrastruc­ture with some energy left over. That excess energy is then gifted by the marae to kuia and kaumatua associated with the marae, some months covering up to 90% of their energy needs.

On average, each recipient household has seen average annual energy savings of around $500.

The project, co-designed using kaupapa Māori principles, also provided education on how to be more energy efficient, both at the marae, and at home, where energy assessment­s were undertaken.

TLC chief executive Mike Fox said it was fantastic for a King Country initiative to be recognised again but the more meaningful payback will come from potential long-term benefits across the rohe.

He noted the award criteria said the winning project must “contribute to the social fabric of a community, enriching its people and inhabitant­s’ lives using renewable energy. It must have helped the local community and improved their way of life with measurable and meaningful outcomes.”

“There is no doubt it did all that, and more, so we’re proud of making a difference,” Fox said.

“It has made two local marae – key community infrastruc­ture – much

more resilient. That’s really important.

“It has also helped TLC better understand how we can use solar, a renewable resource, to address some of the challenges we have, particular­ly in remote parts of our network.

“Our opportunit­y now is to continue working alongside partners like Te Nehenehenu­i so we can potentiall­y scale up the project.”

Te Nehenehenu­i general manager Ashleigh Turner was at the awards event on Friday, noting others were unable to attend because of the death of the Māori Kingi, Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII.

TLC accepted the award, acknowledg­ing Te Nehenehenu­i as active partners in the project.