Frequently asked questions

Sunpool members typically receive $0.17-0.22 per kWh for exported solar generation, compared to the $0.08-0.12 per kWh that most individual households receive. The exact rate depends on current market conditions and the negotiated terms with energy retailers. Rates are reviewed and renegotiated regularly.

No. You keep your existing electricity retailer for your normal power usage. Sunpool only handles the buyback negotiation for your exported solar generation. Your usage rates, your retailer, your billing - all unchanged.

Sunpool offers subsidised installations for new members who commit to a 5-year membership. You'll need a suitable property in the Christchurch/Canterbury region with a roof that can support a grid-tied solar system. The subsidy amount depends on the system size, with the average new install being around 6.6 kW.

If you receive a subsidised installation through Sunpool, you commit to keeping your membership for 5 years from the installation date. During that time, all your exported solar generation is sold through the Sunpool collective. After 5 years, you're free to stay or leave with no penalty. Most members stay because the rates speak for themselves.

No minimum commitment for members who already have solar installed. You can join and leave as you choose. We're confident the improved buyback rates will keep you around, but we don't lock you in.

Volume. A single household exporting a few kWh a day has zero negotiating leverage. But 6,642 homes exporting collectively, with 33.2 MW of combined capacity, represent serious generation volume that energy retailers want access to. We negotiate as a single entity, and that scale gives us the leverage to demand better rates.

Nothing changes. You still consume your own solar generation first (self-consumption), and you still buy power from the grid through your existing retailer when you need more. Sunpool only affects what happens to the excess power you export - that's the only part where our collective rate applies.

No. You need an existing grid-tied solar system, which you almost certainly already have if you're selling power back to the grid. No additional meters, no new inverters, no monitoring hardware required.

There's no minimum system size. Whether you have a 3 kW system or a 13 kW system, your exported generation contributes to the pool and benefits from the collective rate. Every kWh counts.

Currently, Sunpool is focused on the Christchurch and wider Canterbury region. We may expand to other parts of New Zealand in the future as the co-operative grows, but for now we're keeping it local to maximise our impact and community connection.

Sunpool operates as a co-operative, funded by a small service fee taken from the improved buyback rates earned by members. This fee covers administration, negotiation costs, and contributions to the new install subsidy fund. Because there are no external shareholders, all surplus goes back into the co-operative.

Sunpool is currently growing at approximately 30% year-on-year. We project reaching around 43 MW capacity by 2027 and potentially 95 MW by 2030. Growth makes the co-operative stronger - more members means more negotiating power means better rates for everyone.