Business offers renewable energy service
Paul Stocker testing a solar panel. Photo: Gerard Hindmarsh.
Paul Stocker of Tukurua has set himself up as Azimuth Renewables after returning from Australia, where he studied renewable energy.
Paul earned himself an Advanced Diploma in Renewable Energy Technology and a Diploma of Sustainability after completing the 18-month course at the Sunshine Coast Institute of Technology in Nambour, Queensland.
He offers his design and installation skills for stand-alone power systems of up to 30Kw capacity, and also the design of state-of-the-art grid-connect power systems.
“At the moment the market is mainly people who need an alternative power supply because they don’t have access to the grid, but it’s not far off that ordinary homeowners on the grid will be installing rooftop PV [photovoltaic] systems, and feeding energy back into the grid for a credit when they produce a surplus,” said Paul. “This is big in Australia, with subsidies and generous feed-in tariffs offered to homeowners.”
Photovoltaic systems generate electrical power by converting solar radiation into direct current. Although wind and hydro solutions are on offer, Paul says an annual average of 5.1 peak sunshine hours per day that the Bay gets [NIWA figures] makes solar an ideal choice here.
“Brisbane has around 5.4, so we aren’t that far behind. A 1.5Kw solar kit for a house starts off at around $8,500. Basically there’s a 14-year payback period for an average plant life of 25 years. Over time that’s quite a saving, like getting 10 years of power for nothing. As the cost of photovoltaic panels continues to come down, it will become an increasingly attractive option for homeowners who want to do their bit for energy conservation.”
Paul says that designing systems was a big part of the course. He also draws on his background in highly practical interests, such as automotive mechanics and electrics, and motorcycles. Before going to Australia, he worked for eight years as a tanker driver for Fonterra in Takaka, while before that he maintained equipment at Lifestyle Hire.
He credits his partner Jacquie for his recent motivation to retrain. “Five years ago she earned a Diploma in Social Work and I thought ‘Good on her’. The reason I did my course in Australia was because their renewable energy courses are so in-depth. One of our big motivations is to participate overseas in some sort of volunteer work together. I reckon our combined skills could come in handy.”
Gerard Hindmarsh
