Solarcity New Zealand, a supplier of photovoltaics to the residential market, is using an IoT platform from Australian company Carbontrack in collaboration with Vodafone to enable customers of its Solarzero service to switch appliances or systems remotely via the Internet and a desktop computer or mobile device.
Solarcity CEO, Andrew Booth, said the move would give Kiwis the ability to buy cheaper, cleaner power locally from their own roof and power their homes the way they chose from their smart phones.
“We are looking forward to assisting New Zealanders in minimising their electricity bills, while moving towards a more sustainable energy approach,” he said.
Carbontrack, a startup headquartered in Melbourne supplies technology that enables homeowners to monitor their overall electricity consumption and that of individual devices and to switch these on and off. The company raised $A2m in September 2015, valuing it at $A23m
Solarcity, founded in 1974, claims to one of the five fastest growing ‘green’ companies in New Zealand. It is part of the New Zealand government's Focus 500 group of companies that make a significant contribution to the New Zealand economy.
The company installs and manages the solar panels on home owners’ roofs either on an outright sale, instalments over 20 years or leases the systems over 20 years.