Electric cars or coal-to-diesel?

TeslaThe carbon neutral flagship of New Zealand’s power sector, Meridian Energy, has announced that it’s planning to start trials on electric cars next year [Stuff, Herald] . CEO Keith Turner also announced a new service specialising in helping to design and build energy efficient homes, and a new environmentally friendly Wellington headquarters. Discussing the car trial, Turner said:

“The prize in making the move to electric vehicles comes when you recharge them with renewable electricity. Meridian will be able to demonstrate renewable, zero-emission, certified carbon neutral mobility.

Coming soon to a roof near you

Swift turbineVector is to start trialling rooftop wind turbines imported from Scotland. The Swift turbines, manufactured by Renewable Devices in Edinburgh, are rated at 1.5kW and quiet enough for urban use. The first trial site is the Waitakere City Council building (Waitakere has a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85% by 2050). In NZ conditions, it’s expected that the Swifts will deliver between 2,000 and 3,000 kWh per year – around a quarter of the average household’s electricity usage. I wonder how the Swifts might cope with a North Canterbury nor’wester?