News

Nova has launched a new Electric Vehicle ‘EV’ charging service which will make it easier for Kiwi’s to purchase, install and manage all their home and business EV charging requirements.

Nova’s General Manager Retail, Michael O’Donnell says that with the switch to EVs gaining pace and Kiwis increasingly looking for at home or at work charging solutions, Nova wants to help smooth the transition to a renewable energy future.

“EVs are vital to New Zealand’s energy transition, and we want to make the change as easy as possible with our new end-to-end EV charging service that includes EV charging expertise, solutions and support to electric vehicle owners,” said O’Donnell.

Nova’s new service includes recommending the right smart EV charger to suit a customer’s individual needs, overseeing installation, and the option to pay for the charger upfront or on a 12 or 24-month term on a Nova account.

Nova supplies EV chargers from Wallbox, one of the world’s leading EV charger manufacturers and energy management companies.

“We’ve chosen Wallbox EV smart chargers as their charger range is well suited to the requirements of most homes and businesses, as well as the country’s rapidly growing EV vehicle fleet,” said O’Donnell.

Customers can control their EV Charging through an easy-to-use app - the Nova Charge Hub. Business customers also have the option of a desktop portal version of the Nova Charge Hub. 

This Nova Charge Hub Business Portal is ideal for businesses with more than one EV charger on their site or sites around the country, and for businesses who want to make their chargers accessible for their customers, or the public.  It allows customers to turn their chargers on and off, decide who can use them, monitor usage, and set the cost for each charging session.

The Business Portal also has features to support vehicle fleet owners to manage all their EV charging, including connecting home chargers of employees to allow for company paid EV charging at home. 

Nova has announced the launch of mobile services, a key milestone in the strategy to extend its offering, which now includes electricity, natural gas, broadband and mobile.

Nova’s Retail General Manager Michael O’Donnell said, “like energy, connectivity is important to Kiwi’s. By adding mobile to our portfolio of household and business services we’re continuing our promise to deliver great value and make things easy for our customers.”

Nova’s new mobile service offering includes three Endless mobile plans specifically designed for Kiwi families and businesses.

The residential plan offers families (or groups of up to five) Endless mobile for just $29/month per SIM when bundled with another eligible Nova service. It offers endless data, including 4GB at max speed, plus endless calls and texts to standard landlines and mobiles in New Zealand and Australia.

“At just $29/month per SIM, and with the convenience of not needing to worry about tracking usage or top-ups, our new Endless mobile plan will be especially appealing for families and offers great value for those who want to move away from prepay plans.

“Uniquely, Nova’s Endless plan allows customers to double their max speed data allowance for their entire group for just $10 per month. We think it’s a real game changer – making Endless mobile a more affordable and convenient option for all Kiwi families and businesses,” says Mr O’Donnell.

Nova’s business mobile plans offer similar affordability, ideal for small businesses with up to five staff, and a separate plan for larger businesses needing between 6 and 100 SIMs.

Nova’s mobile service uses the 2degrees mobile network.

Nova Energy has applied to the Taupō District Council and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council for resource consent to build a 400 MW solar power plant at Rangitāiki, 35 km East of Taupō.

The completed solar power plant is anticipated to generate renewable electricity to power approximately 100,000 homes.The Rangitāiki solar power plant represents a significant investment in New Zealand’s future renewable energy supply. About three quarters of a million individual solar panels covering more than 1000 hectares will track the sun from east to west each day. 

Nova’s plans at Rangitāiki include restoring wetlands, native riparian planting, and training and employment for locals.

New Zealand’s largest grid-connected solar power plant is up and running at Kapuni in South Taranaki. Developed under the Sunergise brand, a Todd Corporation solar brand, the 2.1MW Kapuni Solar Power Plant with 5,800 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels has been exporting renewable electricity into the local network since the 10th of May. The plant can generate enough renewable electricity to power over 520 New Zealand homes.

“The Kapuni Solar Power Plant represents Sunergise’s first step in ground-mounted solar in New Zealand,” says Paul Makumbe, General Manager of Sunergise. “The energy landscape in New Zealand is changing, with a focus on reducing carbon emissions and solar plants like Kapuni, will help by producing clean, renewable energy,” says Paul Makumbe. Strong partnerships with local hapū Ngāti Manuhiakai and Ngāti Tu, suppliers and contractors were key to the project’s success. More than 40% of the workforce came from referrals from local hapū.

Sunergise is a leading provider of rooftop solar to commercial customers in New Zealand. A related company, Sunergise International, is the leading developer and operator of solar generation in the Pacific Islands and is currently constructing a 6MW grid-connected solar power plant in Tonga, with projects also progressing in Fiji and the Solomon Islands. Sunergise and its related companies have over 20 years’ experience in designing and installing solar photovoltaic, battery, hybrid and mini grid systems across the Pacific. Together, Sunergise and Todd Generation are now taking steps to actively increase solar generation in New Zealand across grid scale and commercial rooftop installations.