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Straight answers about home energy.

Jargon-free explanations on solar, batteries, financing and cutting your power bill, written by the people who install this stuff every day.

Top-down drone view of a house under construction with black solar panels part-installed, scaffolding and a work van in the drive.

Solar basicsJuly 2026 · 6 min read

Does solar even work in a Canterbury winter?

Short answer: yes. Panels run on light, not heat, and cold panels are actually more efficient. Here’s what winter really does to your generation, with honest numbers.

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A ZERO electrician in hi-vis and sunglasses leans from the driver's window of the branded ute giving a shaka sign.

BatteriesJune 2026 · 3 min

kW vs kWh: the two-minute version

One measures how fast, one measures how much. Get these two right and every solar quote suddenly makes sense.

A Zero Electrical technician in a straw hat and hi-vis testing solar cabling with a multimeter on a dark metal roof.

Money & financingJune 2026 · 5 min

Green loans: what your bank won’t volunteer

The questions worth asking before you sign anything, and why we don’t take a cent from any lender.

Two Zero technicians in hi-vis kneel to fit mounting rails and cabling for solar on a dark metal roof under blue sky.

BatteriesMay 2026 · 4 min

City vs rural: the battery question

Why the same battery can be a luxury in St Albans and a lifeline in Ashburton.

Two Zero technicians work on solar cabling beside a roof flue on a residential metal roof on a sunny day.

ElectricalMay 2026 · 4 min

Is your switchboard solar-ready?

The unglamorous box that decides how smooth your solar install will be, and when to upgrade it.

Two Zero technicians crouch to fit solar cabling on a rooftop overlooking green Canterbury paddocks and distant town.

Solar basicsApril 2026 · 6 min

What grid export actually pays

Buy-back rates keep shifting. Here’s the direction of travel and how to pick a retailer plan that suits your export.

Two Zero technicians in branded hi-vis fit solar panels and rails on a large metal roof with a rural outlook.

Money & financingApril 2026 · 5 min

Reading your power bill like an electrician

Daily charges, unit rates, low-user plans: decode the bill before you try to shrink it.

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