Solar station

Celebrating the installation of solar panels at St John in Wānaka are, from left, Scott Kiddey, Solar Zero Upper Clutha territory manager Mark Eagles, Solar Zero head of engineering, Dell Taylor, St John Wānaka area committee chairwoman, and David Baillie, St John Central Otago area operations manager. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

St John Hato Hone Wānaka hosted a blessing ceremony last week for a free solar system recently installed at its Reece Cres premises.

The public voted last year that the Wānaka station should win a new SolarZero system and a free 20-year solar subscription, as part of SolarZero’s Solar Future Competition to give back to the Upper Clutha community.

St John Wānaka chairwoman Dell Taylor said the solar system had been "a game changer" and provided assurance St John could operate during civil emergencies.

"The generosity of SolarZero is not going to be lost on our community. Whether it’s heating our station or keeping our fridge cold, knowing that we have a smaller bill to worry about means we can turn our attention to strengthening the Upper Clutha region,” she said.

SolarZero chief executive Matt Ward said he was inspired by local support for St John, which had shown just how important local initiatives were to communities.