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Story: Wind and solar power

Installing solar panels

Image
Installing solar panels

Solar panels have been used to heat the water at the Eastbourne swimming pool, near Wellington, since 1981. Although it was expensive to buy and install the panels, the pool committee preferred solar heating because of the high ongoing cost of electricity.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Dominion Post Collection (PA-Group-00685)

Reference: EP/1981/3783/8-F

by Merv Griffiths

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Veronika Meduna, Wind and solar power – Solar energy, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/4929/installing-solar-panels (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Veronika Meduna, published 2 March 2009.