Electricity Grid

Headlines

  • Northern Powergrid is in charge of the local electricity grid. The grid operates at twenty thousand volts and this is changed to 240 volts at various transformers located close to dwellings. Most houses have connections which can draw a current of up to 60 amps from the 240 volts supply, giving a maximum power of about 13 kilowatts.
  • Typically whoever requires a new or upgraded connection will pay for all or some of any network infrastructure upgrades needed.
  •  An electric vehicle charger or a heat pump can be installed without first applying for a connection and without a connection charge if the maximum current is 
  •  Most of the Parish is supplied with single phase electricity. New generation from solar or wind, which could supply more than a large dwelling or one of the new high power vehicle chargers, would require a three-phase supply. Converting transformers to provide a three-phase supply or to increase capacity would need a replacement transformer, and possibly a new cable or overhead line replacement. This would need to be included in the cost of any significant 
  • Small domestic renewable generation (less than 13 amps, or 3.68kW) can be installed without applying for a connection beforehand and without a charge. For example, a typical new roof-mounted PV solar installation will be within this limit.
  • Any new renewable generation connections large enough to make a significant contribution to the parish’s carbon footprint are likely to need network upgrades, for which the owner of the generator would pay.

Further Details

Northern Powergrid have agreed to install some monitoring equipment on the ground-mounted transformers in the village and to make the information available to HNZ. 

The report contains technical details which would help anyone considering new generation on their property or putting in a large new load like a big heat pump.

 There is also a map of the twenty thousand volt distribution network in the village showing the single and three phase lines.