John Harman: Director of solar company Lightforce suggests levelling playing field between gentailers and retailers before homes switch to solar

There's a suggestion a level playing field between gentailers and retailers is needed before homes switch to solar.  

Election policies of National and Labour would both let homeowners pay back low interest loans for solar through their rates. 

Labour's plan would also let local line companies provide loans, repaid through power bills. 

Director of solar company Lightforce John Harman told Ryan Bridge fair prices are needed for renters and low income homes to make the change. 

He says companies are making record profits from New Zealanders with high power prices and that's not going to stop. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Battle of these soular power policies happening at the moment
between the two major parties.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
They've basically taken the work that rewiring Old I did.
It's good work, and they've put the National Party's logo
on it. Only the Labor Party is able to deliver
the same policy but actually make it cost hundreds of
millions of dollars.

Speaker 1 (00:17):
Right, let's cut to the tase. John Harmon, director of Lightful,
solo with us this morning, Morning, John.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Morning Ryan.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
Whose is better?

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Well, both of them are very similar. The Labor Party
is just more and what we see in this in
this space, which is more virtuous ignoring and more politicking.
But it's not going to shift the dial for the
average punter.

Speaker 1 (00:42):
What would because I mean they're talking about renters here,
they're talking about subsidies here of up to three thousand
dollars to get a couple of panels on your roof.
What would move the dial for renters and for low
income people? Middle income be able to actually go with solar.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
Oh, it's very simple. It's a level playing field with
the retailers of gentails and alliance companies. So they are
making record profits from new Zealanders with high power prices
and the government itself is making record profits from GST,
from dividends and from basically corporate tax and that's not

(01:25):
going to stop. So we want to level playing field
for investors from the little kids, from the little punters
that invest in two panels on their balcony, to the
average household which really needs twenty panels to run a house.
And that's symmetrical pricing. So whatever the gentailer charges you
for your power rhyme. So let's say thirty six censor unit,

(01:47):
well your panels shall get thirty six censor unit from
them when you're not using the power, when you're exporting
it to your neighbor. That would move the dial as
we want fairness.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
More costly, mean you mentioned the Lines charges. Is it
more costly to reverse it out?

Speaker 2 (02:05):
No, not at all. It's easy. It's like everywhere in
the world has got more SOLO than New Zealand. It's
just the Lines company don't facilitate it and the gen
Taylors don't want it because they're making all the money.

Speaker 1 (02:18):
John Harmon, director of Lightful Solo. For more from early
edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live to News Talks.

Speaker 2 (02:25):
It'd be from five am weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio