Marae solar project provides power and learning opportunities for iwi and ākonga

An expanded solar project in Tairāwhiti is powering up 12 more marae to improve their energy resilience.

The Trust Tairāwhiti initiative has already provided solar panels to 22 marae, with the latest installations delivered in partnership with Te Puni Kōkiri, the Ministry of Māori Development.

The initial installations received $857,000 in funding support through a special Lotto grants draw following Cyclone Gabrielle.

Trust Tairāwhiti general manager communities Audine Grace-Kutia said the solar systems would strengthen daily operations, provide greater resilience during power outages and support civil defence responses.

Ten Ngāti Porou marae, alongside Manutūkē Marae and Pākōwhai Marae (about 14km and 20km from Gisborne respectively), will receive solar panels.

The Waituhi community has big plans for the solar panels being delivered to its Pākōwhai Marae through Trust Tairāwhiti's marae solar project. Photo / Nigel Thornicroft.

Pākōwhai Marae solar project lead Sonya Nepe said the marae was awaiting results of an initial site inspection and the community was looking forward to the next stage.

“Having the solar system at our pā would be a significant step towards energy independence. We’re also looking at environmental stewardship, manaakitanga, taking care of our environment, and then after that it’s the long-term resilience that benefits us and our people and our pā.”

Nepe hoped any surplus electricity could support nearby facilities, including a kōhanga reo and neighbouring papakāinga, reducing power costs for whānau and kaumātua.

A successful programme could encourage other organisations, such as businesses, the fire station and kura, to adopt solar power and create jobs within the surrounding Waituhi community, she said.

Nepe said the marae had become busier in recent years, hosting not only whānau and hapū events but also visitors, including international school groups.

“So the solar power I think is going to be a real turning point for the marae in terms of where they sit amongst our community.”

Money saved by the project could be redirected to maintenance and hauora workshops, she said.

The project will also give third-year EIT Tairāwhiti Bachelor of Computing Systems and Bachelor of Business Studies students the chance to apply their skills in a real-world setting.

Computing systems student Deacon Lars Hatwell-Watt said taking part in the project would not only improve their skillsets, but allow them to help out their communities.

“It just goes hand in hand with each other,” he said.

Hatwell-Watt and fellow computing student Geronimo Gerard Pace Yu IV, who is new to the area, said it would provide connections they would not have otherwise.

Students will develop software to monitor energy generation, battery storage and system performance, presenting the information to marae to make informed decisions about energy use.

“I’m specifically interested in the UX UI [User experience, User Interface] designs, so this project will definitely help me understand what makes it easier to navigate and make it user-friendly,” Pace Yu said.

EIT business and management lecturer Jaikaran Narula said students became more confident after practical tasks.

“They feel a sense of achievement, which goes a long way for them to take on more tasks, take on new opportunities and especially working on this particular project, it has really helped the students come out of their shell a little bit and engage with the jobs, engage with the community at large as well.”

EIT computing lecturer Dr Anastasia Mozhaeva said the project allowed students to think about their skillset and how it could be applied to specific Gisborne needs.

“We need to understand that Tairāwhiti is not like all of New Zealand, and when we work with machine learning on artificial intelligence, when we work with drones, we need to think about how we can create technology appropriate for exactly our region.

“And when our students finish their degree, their knowledge is exactly appropriate for Tairāwhiti’s needs.”

Trust Tairāwhiti said installation was set to begin by early September.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.