Off the grid

The situation

After selling the family farm in Rangitikei, former Formula One driver Chris Amon and wife Tish bought two adjacent four-hectare sections outside Kinloch near Taupo. There was a house on one; the other was a bare block. The plan was to live in the existing house while building a new one and then sell the land and original house (although 15 months on it’s still for sale). Living next door provided an unexpected – and at the time inconvenient – opportunity. During the first winter, the Amons experienced numerous power cuts. “The long cuts were horrendous,” says Chris. “You can put up with one or two hours without power but when it gets to be 36 everything stops.” In an effort to cope, he installed a battery-powered marine water pump and a petrol-powered generator. While that took care of the essentials, it wasn’t a long-term answer. Having been interested in sustainable technologies for years, Chris saw the new house as a challenge to build an energy-efficient, off-the-grid home that had all the modern conveniences.

 
Getting started

Finding someone who understood the alternative energy options was a challenge but through a series of neighbourhood introductions, Chris met David Spicer. David, who lives in Marton, is an independent contractor who designs and installs solar, wind and hydro-energy systems. “The national grid is the best option for most people,” David says, adding that his own home is connected to this. But for remote areas where the grid can’t be accessed, where power is unreliable or connection cost prohibitive, then off-the-grid systems can be designed to suit. David has set up systems from Manawatu to Hamilton and the East Cape, to Wairarapa and the Chatham Islands. He says that while solar hot-water systems have a short (three to four-year) payback, most people don’t require – nor can they afford – solar-powered generation. David says that systems range in price from $20,000 to $100,000 with the average household system costing about $40,000.

It must be practical

The Amons were not interested in reading by candlelight or making their own mud bricks. The 380sqm home has luxuries such as a swimming pool and spa, is oriented towards the sun, has high levels of insulation, double-glazed windows and a gas cooktop and oven. Heat comes from a hydronic system: a wood-fired boiler warms water that traverses tubes under the floor of the house.

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