'Power to the people': New regulation report says legalise plug-in solar

Author: NZ Herald,
Publish Date: Thu, 30 Jul 2026, 4:13pm

Regulation Minister David Seymour says there is no good reason not to allow plug-in solar in New Zealand. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The Ministry for Regulation has recommended the Government legalise plug-in solar in New Zealand, among a batch of suggestions for how solar installation could be simplified.

A report from the ministry says plug-in solar systems are transportable and simple-to-use, but are not currently allowed in New Zealand.

That’s because “the inverters that are used for plug-in solar are banned due to concerns about electricity risks and starting house fires”. There are other regulations creating barriers as well.

However, the ministry is recommending it be legalised.

It said plug-in solar is allowed in other countries with “product certification, output limits and other safety features”.

“Households must notify their network operator if using plug-in solar, but there is not a full approval process required before using. Plug-in systems are particularly popular with renters and people living in apartments who cannot access traditional rooftop solar.”

It said work on this recommendation could take place over nine to 12 months and be allowed through secondary legislation.

Regulation Minister David Seymour said the report recommended allowing plug-in solar as “there was no good reason for preventing Kiwis using it”.

“Plug-in systems can be used by renters and people living in apartments who can’t access traditional rooftop solar. If they’re good enough for Germany and the UK, they’re good enough for us.”

The Ministry for Regulation report makes recommendations to simplify solar installation rules. Photo / 123rf

He said the ministry had heard about problems with small-to-medium scale solar through the red tape tip line.

“The ministry went straight to the source to understand the problem. They engaged with installers, industry participants, regulators and other stakeholders.

“The ministry found that in some cases, installing a small-scale solar system can involve up to six separate sign-offs and five site visits from four different entities before it can be switched on. All of this can take months. Most of it is unnecessary.”

Seymour said by implementing the recommendations in the report, installation approval for residential solar would drop “from about $640 and three months, down to $200 and six days”.

“For small-medium scale solar, such as a farmer installing panels on a milking shed, it would take installation approval from up to $11,000 and six months, down to $1300 and one month.

“The ministry estimates that the recommendations could deliver net benefits of between $28 million and $50m over 10 years. This is through lower compliance costs, reduced delays, and the use of plug-in solar.”

There were other recommendations related to inspections and processing times for line companies to deal with requests to install solar.

Energy Minister Simeon Brown welcomed the proposals, which he believed would “give power back to the people by making solar uptake cheaper and faster”.

“The Government is focused on ensuring NZ has access to affordable and reliable power with these proposals building on what the Government is already delivering, from fast-track consenting big renewable projects, to doubling the export limits for households exporting power back to the grid. This Government is delivering on that agenda.”

Plug-in solar has been promoted by political parties as a way to help New Zealanders with power prices. The Labour Party, for example, said it would fix the regulations and allow eligible people who rent to access a kick-start subsidy to help pay for the cost.