A Hawke’s Bay church is taking action to reduce energy poverty in the region with plans to build a solar farm.

And not a small farm, the plan by St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, involves installing 4000 solar panels, to supply 400 low income households in Flaxmere with low cost electricity.

An Otago University Study in 2017 found that around one fifth of New Zealanders experience energy poverty – that being defined as spending 10 percent or more of their income on energy.

Those leading the project have completed a feasibility study and are now trying to raise funds to get the solar farm up and running.

Reverend Jill McDonald is working on the scheme with her husband and project manager Chris Lambourne.

She told Lorna Subritzky that when they moved to the area, they were struck by how much sun there was and the divide between rich and poor.

“The reality is, it’s very expensive to be poor when it comes to energy.”

McDonald says that Flaxmere uses 20 per cent less energy than other parts of the country during winter. 

LISTEN TO JILL MCDONALD AND CHRIS LAMBOURNE TALK WITH LORNA SUBRITZKY ABOVE