They found an expensive 300-kilovolt-ampere (kVA) transformer with excessive capacity had been installed.<\/p>\n
Graham said that size of transformer would usually serve 70 houses.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would you install that on the marae, attached to the kitchen?<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know. I\u2019m still dumbfounded.\u201d<\/p>\n
The marae also had its fixed lines charge bumped up to a pricier level, as the high peak of electricity use (during events like tangihanga) meant it was regarded as a business.<\/p>\n
\u014cwae was charged that business-rate lines charge, despite sitting dormant most days \u2013 unlike a typical business.<\/p>\n
The wharekai was opened two years ago but the power bill still rankles. Photo \/ Te Korimako o Taranaki<\/p>\n
The installer, HEL Rimu Electrical, said the project\u2019s engineer specified the large transformer.<\/p>\n
Managing director Callum Margetts said the capacity was intended to serve potential new housing or other future buildings on the p\u0101.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s not explained \u2013 and we see this a lot \u2013 is the actual line charges that come with having a large transformer like that,\u201d Margetts said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m talking about your monthly ongoing costs of having the capability to have that energy provided to a site.\u201d<\/p>\n
On top of that, \u014cwae had no contract to sell power back to the grid, so the marae\u2019s electricity retailer simply took the excess solar generation without payment for three years.<\/p>\n
Eventually, the retail supplier refunded the lost earnings for taking the excess power \u2013 but the business lines charge and over-specified transformer remain.<\/p>\n
Finally, when any solar panel on the wharekai (dining hall) roof was shaded, the entire array connected to it would also quit generating.<\/p>\n
Graham said marae trustees or administrators needed to fully understand every aspect of planned solar installations and must keep a close eye on the rollout.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need that knowledge on how things work within your own marae.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruka Te Moana of renewable-energy company Te Piringa P\u016bngao was one of the experts called in to figure out what went wrong.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t an isolated incident,\u201d he told the conference.<\/p>\n
He advised other marae to be cautious.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got awesome organisations like Rewiring Aotearoa, Solar Sense and T\u016b Mai Ra Energy that are going around helping wh\u0101nau [to avoid] unintended consequences, stuff like this happening.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Te Moana said that wasn\u2019t enough and systemic change was needed to bring fair charging options for marae.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re educating our wh\u0101nau to operate in a space that isn\u2019t changing: the space actually needs to change.\u201d<\/p>\n
Te Moana said funding bodies increasingly demanded feasibility studies for solar projects, to avoid the need for remedial work.<\/p>\n
\u014cwae was working out how to avoid the worst impacts through measures like making sure batteries handle the brunt of peak power demand.<\/p>\n
Going off-grid was being considered and might end up being the best option.<\/p>\n
Te Moana said the new Ng\u0101motu Marae being built in New Plymouth could learn lessons from \u014cwae\u2019s experience.<\/p>\n