Business context
Sector: Electrical contracting and solar installation
Location: Raglan and Hamilton, Waikato
Scale: 17 full-time staff servicing the central North Island
Why solar?
Stendy Solar began as a standard electrical business servicing the Raglan community. Under previous owner Jeff Hiscock, the business branched into solar installation before it was mainstream. Current owner Kevin Porteous took over four years ago with a plan to grow that side further. He came from the power network industry and could see New Zealand businesses were facing a sustained rise in power costs.
Operations manager Jamie Furmidge says without that shift, the business would likely be struggling today, with only enough work to sustain the four or five staff needed for standard electrical services in Raglan.
For most commercial customers, the appeal of solar is simple. Jamie says businesses usually switch to solar to save money. The environmental benefits are considered a bonus.
There aren’t many barriers left to solar, says Jamie.
“The products are good, banks are willing to lend to businesses with strong finances, the workforce is getting there, and power prices are creeping up.”
Panel technology is also improving. Panels commonly around 300 watts five years ago are now typically 450 to 550 watts, giving businesses more generation for a similar cost per panel.
Growing with solar
Stendy Solar has kept its residential and commercial electrical work running alongside the growing solar side. This work helps train apprentices across the full trade before they specialise. Electricians must complete two years as a qualified electrician before becoming solar-endorsed. Nowadays, the business trains good electricians into the role rather than trying to find people with existing solar experience.
The business installs both solar generation and electric vehicle (EV) chargers for commercial customers. Interest in chargers is growing. Jamie says most people getting solar now already have an EV, or plan to get one. Stendy Solar itself runs plug-in hybrids and is looking to add a fully electric van to its fleet.
Alongside its commercial focus, Stendy Solar installs solar on two to three homes a month, though it doesn’t actively market this work. It is also working through more complex projects for customers who own multiple properties to work out how solar generation can be shared across sites with different tenants.
Results so far
Stendy Solar now employs 17 full-time staff, including four apprentices. It primarily works across the Waikato and is expanding into the central North Island. The business recently won a Ministry of Education tender for a pilot programme installing solar and batteries at four South Auckland schools.
One of its largest projects to date is the solar installation at the Ebbett vehicle dealership in Te Rapa, Hamilton. Ebbett’s financial controller Simon Rose says the company now has more than 1,300 panels installed across three sites, with plans to add more in 2026 and 2027.
“With the introduction of solar at our Ebbett head office, we have been able to generate on average 83% of our power consumption through solar production.
“This has enabled us to significantly reduce our power bills, along with the confidence that our increasing demand for EV charging is largely covered by solar generation.”
What’s next
Stendy Solar is building new premises in Hamilton to support its next stage of growth. It also has a couple of small utility-scale solar farms at the pre-consent stage, for commercial customers who use more power than their roof space can generate.
Jamie would like to see the solar industry keep strengthening its standards through bodies like the Sustainable Energy Association of New Zealand (SEANZ).
He says the shift to solar has changed how customers feel about the work.
“It’s a fun and rewarding industry to work in,” says Jamie. “Businesses are stoked to have you working there because you’re doing something exciting. I didn’t really get that feeling doing standard electrical work, it felt more like a necessity, whereas with solar, everyone’s always excited about getting it on their roof and monitoring their energy production once their system goes live.”
Photo: Solar installation at Ebbett Hamilton.