34 | CONTRACTING Network Electrical Servicing “Our specialty is connecting the client side of the connection to the network, so we do work closely with surveyors and developers.” Embracing the new wave NES employs 45 staff with a team of highly skilled electrical engineers and designers, electricians, electrical inspectors, line mechanics and apprentices. T T Russell Fredric Network Electrical Servicing (NES), a leading provider of comprehensive electrical services in Southland and Otago, is embracing the new wave of renewable technologies. Established following the disbanding of power boards in 1995 NES employs 45 staff with a team of highly skilled electrical engineers and designers, electricians, electrical inspectors, line mechanics and apprentices. The bulk of its work currently comprises connecting housing subdivisions to the main network, street light contracts for local and regional authorities and general electrical maintenance. Headquartered in Invercargill, NES has branches in Cromwell, and more recently Dunedin which was established 18 months ago, while it is looking to also establish satellite operations in Te Anau and Gore to create efficiencies for clients in these areas. Although there are several existing service providers in Central Otago, there are fewer in Dunedin despite increased demand there and in Mosgiel in particular, general manager Invercargill, Hoani Cooper says. “Our relationships with a few developers and surveyors, along with a couple of bigger projects that have happened, has prompted us to start looking at how we establish a presence fulltime.” “Our specialty is connecting the client side of the connection to the network, so we do work closely with surveyors and developers.” Renewable energy is increasingly on NES’ radar and it provides consultancy and design services for businesses, farms and households to assess the benefits, cost and economics of renewable energy as well as completing installations. “We are working on a couple of larger installations at the moment, around 100 kilowatts plus.” By comparison, solar panels for an average size family home will typically have the capacity for around four to five kilowatts of generation. More broadly, there is much to consider for both NES and its clients in the renewable energy space. “We are doing some work around helping clients assess how they can decarbonise. You’ve got solar and wind as electricity generation, how that fits into the networks, but also how do you utilise that energy?” People are generally more familiar with solar energy than wind options, but NES have investigated in detail the cost structures of both solar and wind energy, Hoani says. “In general, we have a few projects on the boil relating to energy generation, solar and wind projects, with plans to understand how we can use these to assist with security of supply at the end of the line. “Parallel to this is the impact of decarbonisation, where we see our greatest support for our clients as aiding them in electrification of their processes, including the adoption of EV’s (electric vehicles) with EV chargers, the storage of energy and how we utilise the energy we store and generate to benefit the network overall.” NES is connecting the power for the Southern Field Days at Waimumu next February and is keen to engage with farmers (site 238) about how solar and wind energy may be feasible in meeting a farm’s electricity needs. “For us, it’s about trying to understand how to make renewables work for them, but it’s also got to stack up from a business perspective for them. We believe no challenge can stop us from delivering fair power and electrical choices to our clients.” “We strengthen our business by strengthening our clients’ business.” Looking for Solar Solutions? Call us at 0800 1 888 97 Lighting | Subdivisions | Network Supply | Renewable Energy Proudly supporting Network Electrical Servicing LTD with their IT for 20 years. For a fresh look at how the right IT can help your business, please talk with us. P: 03 218 1277 | E: support@scopeit.net.nz | W: www.scopeit.net.nz
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