#1) Solar supplied about 0.37% of New Zealand’s electricity in the 2020 year
The Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment updates statistics on electricity generation every three months and publishes it in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.
The figure for solar generation of 159 gigawatt hours in 2020, comes to 0.37% of New Zealand’s total generation of 43,137 gigawatt hours in the 2020 year.
To view the page on which this information is hosted, click here, or alternatively, directly download the spreadsheet by clicking here.
#2) New Zealand’s total electricity generation was 43,137 gigawatt hours
The Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment updates statistics on electricity generation every three months and publishes it in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.
The 2020 year annual generation figure of 43,137 gigawatt hours can be found in the spreadsheet.
To view the page on which this information is hosted, click here, or alternatively, directly download the spreadsheet by clicking here.
#3) Coal accounted for 5% of New Zealand’s electricity generation
The Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment updates statistics on electricity generation every three months and publishes it in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.
The figure for coal generation of 2,159 gigawatt hours in 2020, comes to 4.99% of New Zealand’s total generation of 43,137 gigawatt hours in the 2020 year.
To view the page on which this information is hosted, click here, or alternatively, directly download the spreadsheet by clicking here.
#4) Natural gas accounted for 14% of New Zealand’s electricity generation
The Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment updates statistics on electricity generation every three months and publishes it in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.
The figure for natural gas generation of 159 gigawatt hours in 2020, comes to 13.74% of New Zealand’s total generation of 43,137 gigawatt hours in the 2020 year.
To view the page on which this information is hosted, click here, or alternatively, directly download the spreadsheet by clicking here.
#5) Solar produced 0.37% of New Zealand’s electricity generation
The Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment updates statistics on electricity generation every three months and publishes it in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.
The figure for solar generation of 159 gigawatt hours in 2020, comes to 0.37% of New Zealand’s total generation of 43,137 gigawatt hours in the 2020 year.
To view the page on which this information is hosted, click here, or alternatively, directly download the spreadsheet by clicking here.
#6) Fossil fuels accounted for 19% of New Zealand’s electricity generation
This claim is based simply on adding the rounded figures of 5% of generation from coal and 14% from natural gas outlined in references #3 and #4.
#7) Solar output would have to increase by about 5,000% to match the output of fossil fuels
As is mentioned above, solar generation accounted for 159 gigawatt hours in 2020, and the combined generation of coal and natural gas amounted to 8,097 gigawatt hours.
If 8,097 is divided by 50.9, it equals 159 – so it follows that for solar generation was to equal the generation of coal and natural gas, generation would have to grow 50 times – or 5,000%.
#8) New Zealand’s electricity was the 4th most renewable in the OECD
The countries within the OECD that have the highest share of electricity from renewables are Costa Rica and Iceland – both generating 99% of the national electricity supply with renewable sources. Norway sources 95% of its electricity from renewable sources, and New Zealand 81%.
These figures are all based on the 2019 year information from the International Energy Agency’s website.
Costa Rica’s page is available here, Iceland’s available here, Norway’s available here, and New Zealand’s available here.
#9) Electricity emissions are on average 70% higher at night than during day time
This figure is sourced from a report on the feasibility of solar hot water heating prepared by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment in 2012. The statement that emissions are 70% higher at night than during the day can be found on page 35 of the full report, available here.
#10) Fossil fuel electricity plant emissions 50% higher on a winter day a summer day
This figure is sourced from a report on the feasibility of solar hot water heating prepared by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment in 2012. The statement that emissions are 50% higher on a winter’s day than a summer’s day can be found on page 36 of the full report, available here.
#11) New Zealand’s electricity generation highest in June-July-August
The Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment updates statistics on electricity generation every three months and publishes it in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.
Analysis of quarterly electricity generation from 1990 to 2020 suggests the most electricity is generated each year in the three months to September, winter.
To view the page on which this information is hosted, click here, or alternatively, directly download the spreadsheet by clicking here.
#12) Solar output is highest when demand for electricity is lowest
In 2016, Concept Consulting published a report (funded by the government run Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority, along with some of the country’s major power companies) on the uptake of new technologies (electric cars, solar panels, and batteries) and what impact they may have on New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Solar’s high daytime and summertime generation (and its low generation in winter and at other times of the day) can be seen in graphs titled Figure 63 and Figure 64 of the report (page 55), which is available in full here.
#13) Solar output on the best winter’s day is only half as good as the best summer’s day
In 2016, Concept Consulting published a report (funded by the government run Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority, along with some of the country’s major power companies) on the uptake of new technologies (electric cars, solar panels, and batteries) and what impact they may have on New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions.
On page 77 of the report, the report states in New Zealand, solar photovoltaic systems (solar panels) generally have about half the daily electricity in winter as in summer – the full report can be found here.
#14) Increasing rollout of solar generation would deter investment in rollout of solar generation
A report titled The Economics of Utility-Scale Solar in Aotearoa New Zealand was published. The report was prepared for the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment and was written by Allan Miller Consulting Limited.
On page 6 of the report, under point number three, it’s forecast an influx of solar capacity may depress the wholesale electricity price at times when solar is generating, negating the incentive to develop a utility-scale solar project.
The full report can be found here.
#15) Highest forecast solar rollout would lead to 11,000% increase in solar capacity by 2035
A report titled The Economics of Utility-Scale Solar in Aotearoa New Zealand was published. The report was prepared for the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment and was written by Allan Miller Consulting Limited.
A graph on page 46 of the report (titled Figure 12) shows a high forecast for solar generation by 2035 of 17,500 gigawatt hours by 2035, in contrast with 159 gigawatt hours in the 2020 year.
This works about to growth of about 11,000%. The full report can be found here.
#16) Lowest forecast solar rollout would lead to 1,100% increase in solar capacity 2035
A report titled The Economics of Utility-Scale Solar in Aotearoa New Zealand was published. The report was prepared for the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment and was written by Allan Miller Consulting Limited.
A graph on page 46 of the report (titled Figure 12) shows a low forecast for solar generation by 2035 of 1,750 gigawatt hours by 2035, in contrast with 159 gigawatt hours in the 2020 year.
This works out to growth of about 1,100 %. The full report can be found here.
#17) Solar output would have to increase by about 5,000% to match the output of fossil fuels
As is mentioned above, solar generation accounted for 159 gigawatt hours in 2020, and the combined generation of coal and natural gas amounted to 8,097 gigawatt hours.
If 8,097 is divided by 50.9, it equals 159 – so it follows that for solar generation was to equal the generation of coal and natural gas, generation would have to grow 50 times – or 5,000%.
#18) Increased solar rollout forecast to lead to an increase in New Zealand’s overall emissions
In 2016, Concept Consulting published a report (funded by the government run Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority, along with some of the country’s major power companies) on the uptake of new technologies (electric cars, solar panels, and batteries) and what impact they may have on New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Concept Consulting’s analysis concludes that emissions will increase over time as a result of widescale uptake of solar power. This is stated on page 26 of the document, available in full here.
#19) Solar likely to displace other renewables like wind and geothermal, not fossil fuels
In 2016, Concept Consulting published a report (funded by the government run Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority, along with some of the country’s major power companies) on the uptake of new technologies (electric cars, solar panels, and batteries) and what impact they may have on New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions.
On page 24 of the report, bullet points explain that from 2022 onwards, increased solar generation is likely to displace wind and geothermal electricity generation that would otherwise be built, and that in the long term, increased solar generation would increase fossil fuel generation.
The report is available in full here.
#20) Solar likely to increase emissions because solar power generation is greater in summer than winter
In 2016, Concept Consulting published a report (funded by the government run Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority, along with some of the country’s major power companies) on the uptake of new technologies (electric cars, solar panels, and batteries) and what impact they may have on New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions.
On page 54 and of the report, Concept Consulting explains that output from solar generation runs to the opposite of demand for electricity in New Zealand.
The report is available in full here.
#21) Increased use of fossil fuels due to solar causing widening gap between winter power demand and supply
In 2016, Concept Consulting published a report (funded by the government run Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority, along with some of the country’s major power companies) on the uptake of new technologies (electric cars, solar panels, and batteries) and what impact they may have on New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions.
On page iv of the report, Concept Consulting explains that by creating a wider gap between winter power demand and supply, a higher uptake of solar would create a need for more electricity from controllable sources like coal and gas.
The report is available in full here.
#22) Batteries unlikely to significantly alter the impact of solar on New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions
In 2016, Concept Consulting published a report (funded by the government run Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority, along with some of the country’s major power companies) on the uptake of new technologies (electric cars, solar panels, and batteries) and what impact they may have on New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Page 26 of the report explains the reasons that batteries and solar panels combined don’t significantly alter the emissions impact of solar panels on their own.
The full report can be found here.
#23) New Zealand’s hydro schemes can already offset the fluctuations in solar on a day to day level
In 2016, Concept Consulting published a report (funded by the government run Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority, along with some of the country’s major power companies) on the uptake of new technologies (electric cars, solar panels, and batteries) and what impact they may have on New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions.
On page iv of the report, Concept Consulting explains that by creating a wider gap between winter power demand and supply, a higher uptake of solar would create a need for more electricity from controllable sources like coal and gas.
The report is available in full here.
#24) The need for shifting power across seasons would end up being done by coal or gas
In 2016, Concept Consulting published a report (funded by the government run Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority, along with some of the country’s major power companies) on the uptake of new technologies (electric cars, solar panels, and batteries) and what impact they may have on New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions.
On page 25 of the report, it’s explained that the net effect on the long term is that solar panel uptake will not only displace new low emission options like wind and geothermal, but also add to emissions by increasing the need for fossil fuel generation.
The full report can be found here.
#25) Solar accounted for 0.37% of New Zealand’s electricity supply in 2020
The Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment updates statistics on electricity generation every three months and publishes it in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.
The figure for solar generation of 159 gigawatt hours in 2020, comes to 0.37% of New Zealand’s total generation of 43,137 gigawatt hours in the 2020 year.
To view the page on which this information is hosted, click here, or alternatively, directly download the spreadsheet by clicking here.
#26) Solar accounted for 0.1% of New Zealand’s energy supply in 2020
The Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment releases its annual energy balance tables in line with the annual Energy in New Zealand reports.
The data tables for the 2020 year show that it 2020, solar accounted for 0.94 PJ in the total primary energy supply of 868.68 PJ.
The page on which this spreadsheet is hosted can be found here, and the spreadsheet itself can be directly downloaded here.
