Solar panels to help power Runanga
About 120 solar panels and batteries are being installed this week at the Westfleet Runanga Community Pool to improve the area’s emergency resilience.
The Grey District Council is working with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) through its Community Renewable Energy Fund (CREF) to equip community buildings with photovoltaic (solar) systems and battery banks, as well as West Coast Emergency Management.
The initiative will strengthen community resilience by providing access to power when the electricity grid is down during an emergency or other outage.
At other times, the solar system will reduce electricity costs and lower the carbon footprint.
Council Group Manager Community Penny Kirk said the council had been allocated up to $264,000 from EECA’s Community Renewable Energy Fund. Communities are committing co-funding, and no ratepayer funding is involved.
“Moana and Barrytown will follow on from Runanga,” Mrs Kirk said.
Chairman of the Runanga Community Trust, which owns the town’s community pool, Eric Martini, said the trust was getting serious about keeping Runanga on its feet when the lights go out.
The trust is installing a solar and battery system at the Westfleet Runanga Community Pool to provide emergency power during major outages — enough to keep communications running, charge devices, and support essential services when mains electricity fails.
“This is about resilience,” Mr Martini said. “Solar panels and batteries give us control when everything else stops.”
The system has been designed with extra capacity and cabling so power can be supplied to Runanga School in an emergency.
The school is well placed to serve as the community’s welfare centre, while the pool complex could support operations with showers and cooking facilities.
The trust is also installing satellite internet, ensuring phone and internet access remain available even if cellphone towers go down.
If the grid fails, Runanga stays connected.
The solar project is one part of a broader effort by the Runanga Community Trust to strengthen community readiness.
Ongoing initiatives include:
-Community first aid courses
-First aid kits delivered to every household
-Building emergency food reserves
-Investment in a portable water purification system for use if mains water is lost
Funding support from Meridian Energy’s Decarbonisation Fund helped kick-start the solar project, covering the initial installation of panels, with additional panels and batteries funded through EECA via council.
Beyond emergencies, the system will also cut the pool’s long-term operating costs and reduce emissions.
“We’re likely to be the biggest energy generator in the northern ward,” Mr Martini said.
“That’s good for resilience and good for the books.
“Runanga has a proud history of looking after its own. This project carries that tradition forward, with modern infrastructure built for real-world challenges,” he said.
