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Today marked the official ‘switch on’ of our 10kW solar power system at our new building on Tukorako Drive, Mount Maunganui. This is one of the only commercial solar power systems in Tauranga.

We installed forty-five 230W solar panels, flush mounted on our tin roof, connected to two SMA Sunny Boy 5000 TL inverters. This 10kW system powers with ease our 900sqm building that houses our 27 staff, 25 computers, 53 lights and a commercial workshop with multiple power tools.

Even on an overcast day like today, we exported over 8kWh back to the local grid. Our new building’s insulation, natural light and passive heating all contribute to our energy-efficiency.

Managing our own in-house installation provided a learning experience for staff members. Senior Installer, Matt Curry said it was a great opportunity to get our office staff, who don’t usually see this process, up on our own roof.

“It was nice to get staff up there and see other team members taking part and understanding what goes on in the installation.”

This system is a significant upgrade from the 3kW system at our previous building. It took less than three days from the conversion of our meter to having the system up and running.

“It feels great to walk outside and look at our inverters and see how much our own solar power system is generating, what is being utilised and what is being exporting back to the grid,” says Matt.