Installed distributed generation trends

Report notes

1. Retail reports are released after the 10th business day of each month. The next scheduled release is due on 17/01/2026. The reports are built off a live system and the data is subject to change as registry events are processed (e.g. backdated corrections or withdrawn switches).

2. Distributed generation (DG) statistics are available from September 2013 following inclusion of DG distributor populated fields into the registry with the implementation of Part 10 and 11 code changes. This report covers ICPs with an installation type of 'B' (both load and generation) or 'G' (generation only) and includes SB ICPs. The ICP uptake rate is calculated as the percentage of active ICPs that have DG installed in the market segment and region selected. Previous reporting on DG is available at www.emi.ea.govt.nz/Datasets/Retail/Archive.

3. Fuel types available are bio-mass (includes wastes and residues); electric vehicle (includes fuel cells); fresh water (includes stored, pumped and run of river); geothermal; industrial process (includes heat, excludes bio-mass); liquid fuel - liquid fuel (includes diesel, petrol and fuel oil); natural gas; solar; tidal; wave; wind; other (includes any process that doesn't fit neatly into another category including multiple generators of different fuel types); and undefined (this code exists only to support the creation of the fuel type field and cannot be selected by distributors). These fuel types are defined under SD-020 in the registry functional specification at www.electricityregistry.co.nz.

4. SOLAR/OTHER: New categories (Solar+Batteries, Wind+Batteries) were added to the registry in November 2023. These combinations have previously been categorised inconsistantly (ie as Solar or Other). Registry corrections to use these new categories are unlikely to be backdated, so we expect to see some spikes around this period.

5. Capacity is the name plate generation capacity in kW of the generating plant at an ICP. This should reflect the lesser of, summed capacity (ie where there are multiple generators at an ICP), or, injection/inverter capacity. Part 6 of the code sets requirements in place for connection and operation of DG with installation capacities that are 10kW or less and above 10kW. This report allows results to be filtered by connections above and below this 10kW threshold. The report also allows users to investigate the total installed capacity, average connection capacity installed, or the average capacity of new installations in any month. To be very clear, removed installations will impact the installed results but not the results for new installations.

6. Market segment breakdowns are available from September 2013 when ANZSIC codes were introduced into the registry in a field maintained by the trader. No breakdown is available at NSP level. Market segments are not mutually exclusive. Residential connections have no ANZSIC code. Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) connections are defined as those assigned meter categories 1 and 2 (low voltage up to 500A) with an ANZSIC code excluding those relating to central or local government and other utility services. Industrial connections have ANZSIC codes from A through E while commercial connections use ANZSIC codes F through Z. More information on ANZSIC codes is available at www.stats.govt.nz.

7. Region types are either network based or derived from standard statistical boundaries. Network-based regions are network supply points (NSPs), network reporting regions, and zones. Mappings are available in the NSP table which is available as a wholesale report. Other regions are derived from ICP location data and statistical boundaries (2013 census). ICPs without location data default to the location of their NSP. Main centres use Territorial Authority boundaries (City Councils) where Wellington includes Porirua City, Upper Hutt City, Lower Hutt City, and Wellington City. Many data reports allow for the selection ‘All regions’ (where the regions are not the data series) to get data for all regions in a single file. Regions are listed in a North to South ordering, except for NSPs which are listed alphabetically.

8. The 'network participant' region type is different from network or statistics based regions. It reflects the owner of the distribution assets that an ICP is directly connected to, or the participant responsible for them. It does not roll-up ICPs in embedded networks (reconciliation type EN) to the grid connected network owner (reconciliation type GN). In this way it is not strictly a region as the same network participant can operate various unconnected distribution assets across the country and these are aggregated in this reporting. Grid connected network participants are listed first, and the remainder are listed alphabetically.