Issue 113 March - April 2016

Last year became the year of the hoverboard when this new personal transport device shot to stardom as the most popular Xmas toy and lifestyle accessory. Inept celebrities chose the so-called hoverboard as the vehicle they would most like to fall off, and sales around the world exploded.

However, it wasn’t an explosion of sales that caught the attention of electrical regulators, it was the explosion of the hoverboards themselves that caused these self-balancing scooters to rocket into the hall of fame as one the most unsafe consumer electrical devices ever released on the market.

Hoverboards run on lithium-ion battery power and are driven by leaning forward or back like a Segway, or by tilting a foot panel to turn. The self-balancing effect is achieved by gyroscopes that help keep riders upright.

How different manufacturers charge these devices or assemble their battery packs appears to be the problem, resulting in a backlash of prohibitions, such as airlines banning them from flights.

Changes needed to keep the Electrical Contractors Association relevant and ensure its ongoing success are now being implemented by the Ecanz national office.

These changes have been driven by the Ecanz board following its inauguration two years ago and are part of a strategy to develop Ecanz as a more professional organisation, both in its advocacy on behalf of members and also in the value of the services it offers each member to further their success.

Ecanz CEO, Neville Simpson, says the strategy is designed to re-invigorate the membership with stronger engagement and attract new and younger members to carry the industry forward in the future.

Installers and suppliers of alternative energy solutions and time-of-use power management solutions could be the long term beneficiaries of an Electricity Authority review of electricity distributors’ power pricing structures.

The Electricity Authority (EA) has sent a clear message to New Zealand’s 29 distributors that electricity pricing structures need to change to keep in step with and encourage the uptake of PV solar, battery storage and time-of-use (ToU) metering and other smart energy management applications.

It says that unless pricing structures change to reflect the real costs of distribution, consumer uptake of alternative generation will further increase. It says this is an unnecessary investment and has the potential to devalue the distribution sector’s asset base and result in non-solar households paying more for their electricity.