Smart Energy Living

A Southland Family’s Journey into the Future – it’s now!

Imagine a home that saves you money, reduces your environmental impact, and lets you experience the latest in energy-smart technology. For Alyssa Smith and Dylan Cameron, this has been their everyday reality for the past two years in PowerNet’s Smart Energy Home. Located in Invercargill, the two-bedroom house is kitted out with solar panels, battery storage, energy-efficient appliances, heat pump-powered heating, and even an electric vehicle (EV) with a home charging station.

Since 2018, PowerNet has partnered with tenants to explore how these technologies work in real life, gathering insights into energy use, cost savings, and environmental benefits. Alyssa and Dylan, our most recent tenants, reflect on their two years in the home, sharing how it’s changed their habits, reduced their costs, and fuelled their enthusiasm for sustainable living.

Smart Energy Home Tenant Alyssa Smith with PowerNet Senior Engineer Dyson Gentle.

PowerNet Smart Energy Home – Q&A's with Alyssa

What was the most immediate feature of the smart home that stood out to you when you moved in, and why?

The feature that stood out the most to us as we moved in was the solar panels. As we had never experienced them before, we were very intrigued to see how they would work to save us money on our power bills, and we weren’t disappointed!

What has the electric vehicle (EV) been like to use?

It was extremely affordable compared to petrol, very efficient and much nicer to drive.

Has your interest in EVs increased?

If the opportunity arises in the future, we will get an electric vehicle as they are very efficient and good for the environment.

How did your Southland winter go living in the smart energy home?

Due to our lovely Southland weather, which is always very cloudy, we found that living in PowerNet’s smart energy home was slightly cheaper for winter than living in a regular house. Each month was different, but it was still very affordable.

What do you think contributes most to overall monthly savings?

Our living habits, etc – making sure anything we are not using is turned off at the wall and petrol! We saved a lot by not having to use petrol, as we used the EV every day.

How were your power bills, both winter and summer?

Our power bills averaged out in the summertime and were great! Obviously, the sun and the solar panels make it cheaper, so it was very affordable – definitely way cheaper than we have had at a regular home.

What have you learnt about solar power and battery storage?

More people should consider getting solar panels, it would make life more affordable. We haven’t really researched enough as we should’ve, but we know that we saw a great improvement in saving $$ with power, etc, and we think more people would be interested if they heard about it more.

Has the experience made you more aware of your power use?

Yes, definitely!

In the future what elements of the smart energy home would you consider using in your own home?

We would definitely invest in getting solar panels in the future. This is our first time experiencing a home with solar panels, and we can’t wait for the next. I love how affordable it can be.

Would you like to be able to control all your appliances from one app?

Yes, that would be very handy and a unique experience to learn for sure.

Has living in the Smart Energy Home met your needs?

Yes, we are very grateful for our experience in the smart home. How cool we got to drive an EV for the first time and learn more about that.

What surprised you the most about living in the Smart Energy Home?

Honestly, we were just really surprised that it came with an EV. As we hadn’t driven one before, we were excited to try it out and see the difference between an EV and a petrol vehicle. When we move out we will definitely miss it and think more people should invest in an EV.

Smart Energy Home features

Our Smart Energy Home is equipped with some key technologies that aim to make living more energy efficient, including:

Solar Panels

Using the sun’s energy, solar panels offer a renewable, green source of energy that can be used to power your home.

Solar

Batteries

The ability to store electrical energy in a battery means power can be conveniently drawn from the grid when electricity prices are lower without having to change when you use your electricity. If you have solar generation installed you can charge up your battery while the sun shines and then continue using solar energy after the sun goes down.

Batteries

Heat Pump Water Heater

This can be two to three times more efficient than using conventional electric resistance water heaters. Heat pump water heaters use electricity to move heat from one place to another instead of generating heat directly. They operate like a refrigerator in reverse.

Energy efficiency

Electric Vehicle

These reduce the environmental footprint because an electric vehicle (EV) uses New Zealand’s mostly renewable electricity resource. EVs cost less to run and are quiet to travel in, offering great acceleration and a smooth ride.

Electric vehicles

Electric Vehicle Charging Station

An onsite electric vehicle charging station offers convenience and saves time, as charging can be done at home.

EV chargers

Other

The home also features modern insulation and LED lighting. A monitoring and display telemetry system is also installed. This technology will allow us to monitor electricity used by each of the key technologies and gather data that helps us to better understand their contribution to energy efficiencies

Energy efficiency