Press features and field notes on New Zealand solar — the standards, the workforce, and the case for getting it done right.
RNZWith subsidies for rooftop solar likely after the election, installers warn the workforce isn’t ready. Brad features throughout — Solar One has scaled from a one-man van to seven staff — calling for a fast-track “boot camp” to lift electricians onto solar before demand spikes.
Read on RNZ
BusinessDeskBrad with former PM Chris Hipkins at the Ara Ake projectSolar One installed the first commercial run of Solarge’s ultra-light, fully circular panels outside the Netherlands — a world-first at Ara Ake’s New Plymouth energy centre, on a refurbished roof that couldn’t carry conventional panels. Brad helped design the 15 kWp system, pointing to lightweight solar as a way to unlock roofs previously off-limits.
Read on BusinessDeskThe honest answer to NZ’s most-asked solar question — what really drives payback.
Read →What a system really costs, and why cheapest isn’t best value.
Read →No jargon — how panels turn sunlight into the power that runs your home.
Read →Winter, resale, maintenance — the common half-truths, cleared up.
Read →Bigger isn’t better — sizing solar to how you actually use power.
Read →The three ways to do solar, and who each one suits.
Read →Which inverter type suits your roof.
Read →How panels age, and what happens at end of life.
Read →The honest maths on batteries — with real numbers and the 2026 peak export rebate.
Read →Low-maintenance isn’t no-maintenance — the simple things worth doing.
Read →Six real changes to what you can install, export and earn — and when each landed.
Read →The paperwork that proves your system is legal — and why never to skip it.
Read →Before solar can feed the grid, your lines company has to approve it.
Read →Why electricians now need a specific endorsement to connect solar.
Read →The evidence to gather, how to apply, the fee, and a worked timeline.
Read →The default export limit doubled to 10 kW in 2026 — what it means for you.
Read →Why monitoring pays for itself — and what quietly goes wrong without it.
Read →The green flags, the red flags, and the questions worth asking.
Read →What to check — including ownership, finance and the buy-back.
Read →Solar can lift value — but only when it’s done and documented right.
Read →Community projects stall on the ‘how’ — a plain-English starting point.
Read →What crews need to know about solar and batteries on the fireground.
Read →Why solar belongs on the plans, not bolted on — a builder’s guide.
Read →Media enquiries, speaking, and training for your team, school or organisation — start here.
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