How to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from NZ's power system, while avoiding cold showers

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2023-12-13 03:00

New Zealand

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Greater use of electricity and more uptake of renewable energies such as wind and solar present challenges for power systems and distribution networks. It will be very expensive to upgrade infrastructure, but spreading out power use and therefore reducing peak demands will help to decrease costs. Electric hot water cylinders are ideal candidates for this load management, and different types of controllers can create a more even distribution electricity demand without significantly increasing the chance of running out of hot water. The authors say that the smart-thermostat controller offers the ability to further integrate renewable electricity generation and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of Aotearoa New Zealand’s power system.