SolarPeak collectors have endured severe hail and gale force winds without a scratch in fact, a SolarPeak buried under snow for 3 days in Christchurch started performing instantly once the sun came out and is still going strong 3 years later.

Some of our clients save up to 90% of their New Zealand hot water bill by managing use carefully. Recently on the 24th November Peter Randall of North road Nelson heated 250 litres of water from 14 C to 85 C with a SolarPeak 30 tube system. Nelson’s Jules Hobbs on Collingwood street got 300 litres to 75C with his newly installed 40 tube system.

In Aniseed valley on a brand new home, Linda Ballard’s new 30 tube SolarPeak recently heated her cylinder to 84 Celsius. SolarPeak systems are highly efficient.

The following endorsement was sent to us in November this year from another happy client:

The fact is with SolarPeak technology little or no maintenance is necessary, cleaning tubes in high pollen areas is about all that’s required.

In the last week alone, we’ve installed over 30 systems that originated as word of mouth referrals.

These prices are based on paying 18 cents per unit, and an annual increase of 8.7%. Check your power bill to find out what you are currently paying for your water heating and adjust the figures accordingly.

The figures used for this prediction are based on an annual five year average for the period 2002 -2007 as published on the Ministry of Economic Development website.

These figures may very well be too low because the emissions trading scheme has been predicted to double the cost of electricity, as well as the recent 10% increase in electricity to Contact Energy clients.

Domestic and commercial $1000 grant

EECA offers a $1000 grant towards installations for homes and businesses. This grant can be used for new buildings and also for retrofitting solar to your existing hot water cylinder. Once the installation has taken place, EECA pays the $1000 directly to the householder or business.

Alternatively, the the $1000 can go towards a low interest loan.

Contact your local dealer for more information about this funding.

Large solar projects

The Innovation Scheme Fund is no longer available, but has been replaced by the Energy Intensive Businaess (EIB) grant that can fund up to 40% of the total cost of the project to a ceiling of $100,000. This funding can be used for projects like private hospitals, motels, swimming complexes, meat and dairy works, horticulture, viticulture, aquaculture etc.

SolarPeak are experienced in applying for this funding, and able to provide the required technical and project management information.

Contact SolarPeak for information about this type of funding. Email info@solarpeak.com.

Local and National Government

A separate funding scheme exists for Government buildings. Contact SolarPeak for more information. Email info@solarpeak.com.

The laundry at Christchurch Men’s Prison operates thirteen hours a day, five days a week, and its washing machines consume 7,000 litres of water per day. The water temperature must be a consistent 80 degrees Celsius for sterilisation, which requires a very high energy input.

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) part-funded a feasibility study which found that a thermal solar collector array in conjunction with a gas boiler would provide the best solution for meeting the Department of Corrections commitment to cut energy consumption and reduce its carbon footprint. Once a sound business model was produced EECA agreed to subsidise the whole installation.

The SolarPeak thermal solar collector array consists of 97m2 of high performance evacuated tube panels, which will deliver 39% of the total annual power requirement. This equates to a 7.6 year payback time on the investment, although a recent sharp increase in the price of gas has reduced the payback time even further.

Glenn Harvey, SolarPeak New Zealand’s Accredited Solar Designer, designed and project managed the installation which included the manufacture of two 3,125 litre hot water storage cylinders. “Large scale solar installations are a very specialised field. There are so many variables to consider, and the end product must satisfy customer expectations in terms of performance, quality, and cost effectiveness” says Glenn.

On the first day of commissioning, 17 August 2008, the system heated 3,125 litres of water from 19 degree Celsius up to over 70 degrees Celsius using only solar energy. Glenn says ” I believe that the system will surpass conservative performance estimates used to justify the investment”.

SolarPeak New Zealand has a nationwide reputation for installing high quality domestic solar hot water systems, but there is a rapid increase in commercial and government sector work. Marketing Manager Anthony Corke says “We have even bigger projects in the pipeline, including a 170 m2 installation for a city council, a project consisting of 118 individual installations on pensioner flats for another district council, as well as numerous small to medium sized commercial projects. Rising fuel costs has made solar water heating a viable long term alternative to other heating sources for many businesses and organisations”.

Left to right

Patrick Kearns, Assets and Property Manager
Christchurch Men’s prison

Glenn Harvey, CEO
SolarPeak NZ

Download these case studies for more information:

New home solar installation

Retrofit installation