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Story: Wind and solar power

Christchurch rooftops

Christchurch rooftops

If each roof in New Zealand was equipped with solar panels the area available for capturing solar energy would be more than enough to meet the country’s energy requirements. This view gives an indication of the area potentially available in suburban Christchurch.

Using this item

GNS Science

Reference: CN20903/14

by Lloyd Homer

Permission of GNS Science must be obtained before any 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/4926/christchurch-rooftops (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Veronika Meduna, published 2 March 2009.

Comments

Anonymous
21 March 2013
As you say in the article, New Zealand is blessed with an abundance of renewable energy and Solar energy is especially useful because of our abundance of hydro to balance solar energy. Solar panels are now at an affordable price. What we are missing is a simple, fair legislative framework which makes the generation of solar electricity fair and beneficial to both the small business or private home and to the power companies. Have a look at the following to see what I mean. http://mtkass.blogspot.co.nz/2009/09/german-fit-system-brilliant.html http://mtkass.blogspot.co.nz/2007/07/solar-electric-government-role.html