In 2025, Fisher & Paykel Home Solutions designed and installed a custom rooftop solar system for the Waiheke Resources Trust, which directly supports its community initiatives and the day-to-day running of the organisation.

Power outages on Waiheke Island are common, and when they happen, they slow everything down. For the second in our Why Solar series, we learn how the Trust, a community hub for Waiheke Island’s estimated 9,300 residents,* is helping to build resilience by becoming an exemplar for sustainable practices.

Living the green dream

Part of the Trust’s work on the island is helping residents understand what ‘the green dream’ can look like in practical terms. This includes supporting locals in exploring solar options for going solar and reducing solar costs through collective joint procurement.

The future of energy is solar, wind, and hydro – all electricity,” says Michael Maahs, CEO of Waiheke Resources Trust. “We’ve seen gas shortages and the problems with fossil fuels. The same transition happening in cars must happen in homes.”

For the Trust, sustainability is about community in action: locals working together to green the island, grow food, electrify systems, and make solar a viable clean energy option.

Looking ahead, Michael sees the Trust’s solar system being part of a local microgrid, helping to distribute clean energy more equitably across Waiheke Island.

Driving on sun

With 44 employees – many of whom do fieldwork – one of the Trust’s goals was “driving on sun,” says Michael. Today its three EVs use solar power to support work across wetlands, restoration, and food rescue, keeping running costs and carbon emissions low.

Through Auckland Council, the Trust partnered with Rewiring Aotearoa, and brought its CEO, Mike Casey to Waiheke to engage the community and build momentum.

Together, they formed Electrify Waiheke, a community-led initiative focused on large-scale clean energy generation, promoting the transition to electric ferries, and empowering locals to lead the island’s energy future.

The Trust’s role has been to provide the structure, administration, and support needed to help turn community ideas into action.

A future-proof solar system

Led by Joel Bowden, Kieran Clark and Gustavo Beandao e Silva, Fisher & Paykel Home Solutions optimised the system using digital mapping technology, then designed, coordinated and delivered it as a turn-key package.

The rooftop solar system installed at Waiheke Resources Trust comprises 51 high efficiency bi-facial panels, ensuring higher generation from each side of the panel. The panels feed into a Sigenergy Hybrid Inverter, a modular and stackable system designed for flexibility.

Two 8 kW battery modules beneath the inverter power Evnex medium-speed chargers for the Trust’s electric vehicles. The system uses pass-through technology, helping avoid battery degradation.

The result is a compact, efficient, and future-ready commercial solar system – one that gives the Trust the option to expand its storage capacity with additional batteries in the future, if and when needed.

Learn more about our commercial solar offering.

For further reading, A Landmark Rooftop Solar Project documents the 70,000 sqm rooftop solar project delivered for Fisher & Paykel Healthcare’s Auckland campus.

*Stats NZ. (2026, July). Waiheke Island: Place and ethnic group summaries. https://tools.summaries.stats.govt.nz/places/SA3/waiheke-island