I'm seeing a huge increase in solar enquiries driven by rational reasons - global uncertainty, power prices - but data suggests it's deeper than that

Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen a clear lift in inbound enquiries into our call centre and online bookings for our business owners to come and provide a personalised solar assessment. This uptick in enquiry is being seen across the sector. SEANZ Article

We have seen this before during Covid, Cyclone Gabrielle when multiple drivers come together:

• Power prices  - up 20-30% since 2022
• Global events landing closer to home with rising petrol and gas prices
• Weather events causing blackouts
• Increased media and political focus on energy and sovereignty (see my article here on that).

We are hearing this directly in our customer calls and visits, and seeing it translate to enquiry levels that are materially above last year.  

We decided to dig into the data to explain it

We recently surveyed 400 households to understand what’s driving sentiment.

On the surface, it looks like a classic “prices up → demand up” story:

• 45% say solar is more worth it than 12 months ago
• 46% say rising electricity prices are a key reason for this
• 36% say worry about future price rises is another reason for this

But then you look a bit deeper, the recent global events have made 44% of people more likely to consider solar.

Beyond the rational drivers (pure economics – an ROI of 15%), a key reason – a human, emotional reason, is an increased desire for more control over energy costs (26% of respondents) and concern about these events impacting our ability to maintain our way of living.

We are now seeing this show up in higher numbers of solar systems with batteries  being taken up. Not because people want to “go off grid”, solar and batteries still work best alongside the grid, but because they want to feel back in control. A customer looking for a system with a battery often has a slightly different mindset to those wanting a daytime system; less focussed on ROI, more about control, independence, certainty over savings per se.

Energy is starting to look like a real election issue

Our survey also asked respondents how much the cost of electricity will influence their vote in the upcoming election. 35% said it will either be the main or a major influence in their decision. That’s seriously high when you think we also have the traditional political pillars of healthcare, education, law and order to tackle. Perhaps Rewiring Aotearoa may get an electric election?

Empowering people matters

The rational and emotional benefits that a customer enjoys with either household, commercial, farm solar and batteries is evident.

I look forward to the government and regulators enabling this for the betterment of NZ Inc and kiwis. I am also looking forward to seeing the industry step up to this challenge over the coming months and years to deliver exceptional customer experience and improve the economic and emotional wellbeing of kiwis.

Not often you get to work in an industry that clearly does both.

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