New Zealand opens $9 million in funding for renewable projects for Māori housing


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New Zealand’s Māori Housing Renewable Energy Fund is now open for its third and final round, which will see about NZ$9 million (AU$8.4 million) of funding available, one third of which will go towards smaller-scale projects while NZ$6 million is available for three to five larger-scale projects. 

The fund is open to Māori organisations and organisations working on behalf of Māori to fund renewable energy solutions in residential housing, including solar, storage, water heating, and energy management systems. “It’s part of the government’s focus on creating cheaper power, warmer, and drier, more energy-efficient homes for Māori and public housing,” New Zealand’s Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods said.

“This [fund]… has already seen 15 smaller-scale solar power initiatives funded, providing clean and cheap power to more than 200 households,” Woods added. “While the projects are demonstrating the benefits of locally generated and distributed clean energy, we don’t have all the answers on how this can best be done, so we’re looking for even more innovative solutions in this round.”

“All projects supported by this fund will provide valuable information on the costs, and benefits of new design and technology solutions. Information from the larger-scale projects funded in this round will be especially valuable for informing any future trials of technologies that serve bigger communities,” Woods said.

Proposals for feasibility studies are not being considered in this round, with the government saying the projects are to act as “proof of concept” to design future energy solutions.

More information on the Māori Housing Renewable Energy Fund can be found here.

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