Solar energy increasingly powering home and farm as power prices go ‘bonkers’

Saturday, 21 March 2026

Green Solutions owner Imran Hassan says interest in solar energy is growing.

As power prices continue to rise, more people are investigating using solar energy, whether that’s at home or on the farm.

Palmerston North company Green Solutions which was started in June 2024 by director Imran Hassan was helping to meet that demand. He was one of the hundreds of exhibitors at this week’s Central Districts Field Days at Manfeild.

Hassan said the company was only a new player in the solar market but had done more than 40 installations and was growing.

He said more people were looking at installing solar panels for sustainability reasons and because of the cost of power.

“People are definitely interested and if you look 15, 20 years back, people were not aware what the impact on the environment was if you are using coal or fossil fuels.

“Now they do know and now they are more interested in giving back to the planet. Saving is [one thing] but people are keen to give back.”

The company installs solar panels on buildings such as houses and cow sheds.

He said the power cost increases in the past six years were “bonkers” and solar power was now a better option than ever before.

“For example, if five years ago you got solar installed, the system would be paid back in eight, nine years.

“If you get the system installed now, because of the power pricing, you’re paying back your system in five, five and a half years.”

Much of their work had been done on houses but Hassan said they also put the panels on dairy sheds.

Having started in Manawatū, Hassan’s work was growing to other areas such as Upper Hutt, Whanganui and Taihape.

Originally from Pakistan, he had studied electronics and business, then worked in the beverage industry before moving to New Zealand, working for Genesis Energy and Contact Energy, where he learnt about the energy industry.

“With the power companies I did not have the control over what I could offer to the community and to consumers.

“Now I do, so that was the plan: how can I help them to grow their own investment into the house which benefits them?”

He said he did not compromise on his quality of gear, using Sigenergy equipment, which was only behind the more expensive option of Tesla. Sigenergy was user friendly and had the same life span, he said.

Hassan said his company was there to help people, including providing options for retirees who didn’t have a huge income.