Timaru installer: both parties' solar subsidies leave $19,000 gap

A solar installer in Timaru told RNZ on 8 July that typical home installations cost $22,000–$27,000, vastly exceeding what Labour's $3,000 kickstart grant or National's rates-backed loans would cover. Terry Patterson said a standard five-kilowatt system requires 15–16 panels, an inverter, wiring and sometimes switchboard work. Labour's $160 million SolarSaver package and National's Home Energy Fund both fall short of closing the gap between policy support and real installation costs.