Māori and Public Housing Renewable Energy Fund

The $28 million Māori and Public Housing Renewable Energy Fund has been established to trial small-scale renewable energy technologies.

Renewable energy solutions could lead to improved health outcomes for people in public and Māori housing. We want to support renewable generation that consistently lowers energy bills and encourages greater use of heating, leading to warmer and healthier homes. Some projects may also provide a more resilient power supply and enhance energy sovereignty by enabling local communities to generate their own power.

The fund will trial new ways of generating energy and integrating it with existing electricity networks, while supporting the Government’s commitment to renewable energy generation and its climate change goals.  

Over time, this initiative will provide valuable insight into the operational, economic, environmental and wellbeing impacts of introducing renewable energy systems. This information will help inform future projects on a larger scale.

MBIE is leading the project and working closely with Kāinga Ora, Te Puni Kōkiri, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority and Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.

Funding

The $28 million funding pool will be shared between projects for public housing and Māori housing, with $4 million of funding available for the 2020/21 financial year. Approximately half of the funding will go to projects for public housing, and the other half for Māori housing projects.

Renewable energy funding for public housing

Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities is the country’s largest public housing landlord, managing over 66,000 homes across New Zealand. In 2021, Kāinga Ora began carrying out trials with existing and new homes to understand more about delivering renewable energy technology and its benefits to customers.

MBIE and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development are also exploring opportunities for community housing providers to be involved in this fund.

Community housing providers are also eligible for funding through the Māori housing part of the Renewable Energy Fund if the project meets the eligibility criteria and the Fund’s priorities. In this case, a project’s funding may be split between the 2 parts of the Fund.

Renewable energy funding for Māori housing

The funding is being allocated to selected projects over 4 years until mid-2024 through multiple funding rounds.  

Projects for this fund must focus on installing renewable energy technologies for Māori housing, but could also seek funding for supplementary measures that improve energy efficiency and maximise the gains of generating renewable energy at a local level.

Renewable energy fund for community-based projects

In May 2022, the Government announced $16 million over 4 years to support small-scale community renewable energy projects. The following year, the fund was boosted by a further $30 million over 4 years. This new Community Renewable Energy Fund builds on the successful Māori and Public Housing Renewable Energy Fund, and aims to help improve energy affordability and security for target communities.

Community Renewable Energy Fund