Skip to content
Rewiring Aotearoa Get the report
Hand-drawn illustration of a rural marae dining hall in plain weatherboard, its roof covered in solar panels, with a battery and hot water heat pump on the side wall. Around it sit kaumātua flats with solar, an electric van charging in the gravel carpark, a vegetable garden and an electric farm vehicle by the shed, with green hills behind.

Whakahiko Ngā Marae Electric Marae

Marae were Aotearoa's first infrastructure of care. They have always held everyone. It is time the energy system held marae.

Get the report when it's released See an Electric Marae

Built to hold everyone.

A marae is where hui and wānanga happen, where milestones are celebrated, and where communities gather to grieve and farewell their dead. It is also where people turn when the river rises or the lines come down.

During Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023, marae across Te Tairāwhiti and Te Matau-a-Māui opened their doors with shelter, kai and care. When floods struck Te Tai Tokerau in January 2026, and Cyclone Vaianu struck the Bay of Plenty in April, they did it again.

p.15, 65, 66

As states of emergency are declared across regions marae open their doors, mobilising faster than centralised agencies and without waiting to be asked.

Whakahiko Ngā Marae, draft report p.66

Many marae are both the place their community shelters and a place in harm's way. With solar and a backup-capable battery, a marae can keep the wharekai cooking when the lines come down. p.66

Quiet for weeks. Three days in fifth gear.

Power bills are built for steady demand. Marae are built for manaakitanga: quiet most weeks, then feeding and housing everyone who comes for a tangihanga or a big hui.

One year at a weekend marae Illustrative line chart of one year at a marae. Energy use stays near zero for weeks at a time, then jumps to the top of the chart for three or four days at each tangihanga and rises for each hui. A fixed charge is paid on every one of the 365 days. The first tangihanga sets a peak that keeps the tariff high for the months after. Energy use JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec Peak demand HuiTangihangaHuiTangihangaHuiTangihangaHui Fixed daily charge Every day, 365 of 365

Most weeks: a fridge and a security light. The fixed charge still lands every day. p.16

Tangihanga: three or four days in fifth gear. Full kitchen, full ablutions, hot water around the clock. p.16

A single weekend of manaakitanga can set the tariff rate, and the bill, for months. p.20

One year at a weekend marae Illustrative line chart of one year at a marae. Energy use stays near zero for weeks at a time, then jumps to the top of the chart for three or four days at each tangihanga and rises for each hui. A fixed charge is paid on every one of the 365 days. The first tangihanga sets a peak that keeps the tariff high for the months after. Energy use JFMAMJJASOND Peakdemand HuiTangihangaHuiTangihangaHuiTangihangaHui Fixed daily charge Every week, 52 of 52

If it's sized for the quiet months, it fails exactly when it's needed most. p.16

Illustrative shape drawn from the draft report's description, not measured data. Modelled load profiles arrive with the full report. p.16

Hand-drawn illustration of two tall grey LPG gas bottles chained to a weatherboard wall, with a regulator and copper pipe.

  • Over 30%

    A fixed charge every day, used or not.

    Lines charges make up over 30% of the average power bill. They do not go down when a marae uses less, so the quiet weeks pay them too. p.18

  • 30 min

    One busy half hour sets the rate.

    Demand charges are set by the single highest peak in any 30-minute window. On a marae, that peak is a tangihanga or a big hui. p.20

  • Billed like a business.

    Some marae are billed as commercial because their kitchens and three-phase connections look commercial. Their purpose does not. Marae are not businesses. p.20

  • ~$2 a day

    Fuel priced on the other side of the world.

    Bottled LPG already costs more than piped gas, and the gap is expected to widen. Marae on piped gas also pay a fixed charge, busy or not. p.21

~20%rise in residential electricity prices over the past two years p.18
$10,000+can be the cost of upgrading to three-phase for an electric commercial kitchen p.42

Energy from your own whenua.

Nearly every litre of petrol and diesel, and most of the LPG, that a marae burns comes from overseas. Power made on the marae roof is priced here, not by distant wars or overseas suppliers. p.69-70

Hand-drawn illustration of a fuel tanker ship at sea.

From the other side of the world

$55m a day on fuel that flows straight offshore (Rewiring Aotearoa, 2025) p.69

$20b a year roughly, spent by New Zealand on imported fuel p.69

New Zealand has refined none of its own fuel since the Marsden Point refinery closed in 2022. When a war or a blockade hits supply, a marae feels it within weeks in the price of a gas bottle. p.69

Hand-drawn illustration of a blue solar panel.

From your own roof

Based on a typical 9 kW home system costing around $21,900, over a 30-year life. Marae-sized systems arrive with the full report. p.19

Electric machines also waste less. A heat pump gives about three to four times the heat of a gas heater for the same energy, so cheaper power goes further. p.10

What an Electric Marae looks like.

Every fossil fuel machine swapped for an electric one, with solar and a battery where possible. It stays on the grid for peaks, for backup, and to export what it does not use. p.17

A drawn marae dining hall with solar panels covering its roof, a battery and a hot water heat pump on its side wall, and an induction range inside the kitchen. A power pole connects it to the grid. Kaumātua flats and a kōhanga reo building share its solar. An electric van charges in the carpark beside a public fast charger, with an electric farm vehicle, a ride-on mower and battery tools in front.

Make and store

  • Solar on the wharekai roof

    The cheapest energy a marae can get, made on its own roof with no layers of distribution to pay for. p.19

  • A backup-capable battery

    Stores the day's sun. Solar with a backup-capable battery keeps lights, fridges, phones and medical equipment running when the lines come down. p.12

  • Still on the grid

    Draws on the grid for the big days, exports the surplus, and stays there as a backstop. p.17

Heat, hot water and kai

  • Heat pumps

    About three to four times the heat of a gas heater for the same energy. p.10

  • Hot water heat pump

    Replaces the gas califonts. Its insulated tank can heat on midday sun and hold it, a kind of thermal battery. p.40

  • Induction cooking

    Cleaner air in the kitchen. A big commercial range needs three-phase power, so check that first. p.42

Move and mahi

  • EVs and chargers

    Electric vans for the marae, charging for whānau, and room for a public charger for people passing through. p.32

  • Electric ATV, mower and chainsaw

    Quieter, no fumes, and spare batteries instead of jerry cans. p.51

Share

  • Power shared with papakāinga and kōhanga

    Kaumātua flats can draw on the marae's solar. Kōhanga reo run in daylight, five days a week, right when solar is making power. p.17

You do not have to get there in one step.

Find your marae.

Rewiring Aotearoa built six composite marae from real data and conversations with marae across the country. None is a real marae. Find the one closest to yours. p.23

Each profile is a blend of common features and energy loads, so read the one most like your own. p.24

Three questions

How many days in a normal week is someone working, learning or being cared for on your marae? p.25
How big is your kitchen's biggest job? p.25
Which island is your marae on? p.24

  1. Used about one day a week

    The weekend marae

    Smaller marae, low use

    Quiet most weeks, used about one day a week, and three days flat out when there is a tangi.

    Indoor space
    132 m² marae building, 200 m² wharekai p.25
    Cooking
    Two commercial four-burner hobs p.25
    Hot water
    Three gas califonts p.25

    Bills and savings for this marae arrive with the full report.

  2. Used about two days a week

    The wānanga marae

    Smaller marae, medium use

    On site about two days a week, with one overnight, and three days flat out when there is a tangi.

    Indoor space
    132 m² marae building, 200 m² wharekai p.25
    Cooking
    Two commercial four-burner hobs p.25
    Hot water
    Three gas califonts p.25

    Bills and savings for this marae arrive with the full report.

  3. Used about four days a week

    The kōhanga marae

    Smaller marae, high use

    A kōhanga or clinic four days a week, overnights most weeks, and three days flat out when there is a tangi.

    Indoor space
    132 m² marae building, 200 m² wharekai p.25
    Cooking
    Two commercial four-burner hobs p.25
    Hot water
    Three gas califonts p.25

    Bills and savings for this marae arrive with the full report.

  4. Used about one day a week

    The homecoming marae

    Larger marae, low use

    A kitchen built to feed hundreds, used about one day a week, and three days flat out when there is a tangi.

    Indoor space
    250 m² marae building, 400 m² wharekai p.25
    Cooking
    Four commercial six-burner hobs p.25
    Hot water
    Five larger gas califonts p.25

    Bills and savings for this marae arrive with the full report.

  5. Used about two days a week

    The rūnanga marae

    Larger marae, medium use

    Staffed about two days a week, with one overnight, and three days flat out when there is a tangi.

    Indoor space
    250 m² marae building, 400 m² wharekai p.25
    Cooking
    Four commercial six-burner hobs p.25
    Hot water
    Five larger gas califonts p.25

    Bills and savings for this marae arrive with the full report.

  6. Used about four days a week

    The seven-day marae

    Larger marae, high use

    Staff, services and visitors through the week, and three days flat out when there is a tangi.

    Indoor space
    250 m² marae building, 400 m² wharekai p.25
    Cooking
    Four commercial six-burner hobs p.25
    Hot water
    Five larger gas califonts p.25

    Bills and savings for this marae arrive with the full report.

What the savings make possible.

What a hapū does with money that no longer goes out the door to a fuel supplier is, as the report puts it, the whole point. p.31

  • Hand-drawn illustration of a small vegetable garden: raised wooden beds of silverbeet, cabbages and kūmara, with a wheelbarrow, a spade and a watering can.

    Money that stays with the hapū

    Funds freed from power bills go where the hapū decides: supporting whānau, cultural revitalisation, or the maintenance that has waited years. p.31

  • Hand-drawn illustration of a young Māori apprentice electrician in a hi-vis vest, a toolbag over one shoulder, carrying a solar panel and smiling.

    Rangatahi in the trades

    Kaupapa Māori solar companies can serve their own communities and train rangatahi to install and maintain the systems. p.32

  • Hand-drawn illustration of a public electric vehicle fast charger with a small hatchback plugged in.

    Marae on the charging corridors

    Off-road parking and a connection already sized for big loads make many marae a natural home for a public fast charger, and an income stream. p.32

  • Hand-drawn illustration of two small joined kaumātua flats with solar panels on the roof, a bench on the porch and a washing line.

    Power shared with papakāinga

    A marae can be the local energy source for kaumātua flats and whānau homes on its land, lowering their bills too. p.17

Make your next decision an electric one.

Marae don't need to replace everything at once. When a machine dies, the replacement cost was coming anyway. The only real choice is what replaces it. p.22

  • When the califont dies

    Ask for a hot water heat pump. A new gas califont locks in another 10 to 20 years of gas bills. p.30

  • When the gas hobs wear out

    Ask about induction, and check for three-phase power first. A big commercial range needs it. p.42

  • When the LPG heaters go

    Ask for heat pumps. They move warmth in from the outside air instead of burning bottled gas. p.39

  • When the generator needs replacing

    Ask about solar with a backup-capable battery. It keeps going when the roads are cut and the fuel can't get through. p.16

What marae that have done this tell us, in six steps.

  1. Plan

    1. 1 Establish the marae's goals
    2. 2 Map your energy needs
    What this involves for Plan, 2 items

    • 1. Establish the marae's goals Start with the kaupapa: lower bills, staying open through outages, getting off LPG. Let the goals choose the technology, not the other way round.

      p.71

    • 2. Map your energy needs Gather a full year of power, LPG and fuel invoices. Plan with a trusted energy expert for the busiest days and the generations ahead.

      p.71

  2. Prepare

    1. 3 Evaluate current limitations
    2. 4 Request several comprehensive proposals
    What this involves for Prepare, 2 items

    • 3. Evaluate current limitations Get an electrician in early to check the connection, single or three-phase, the switchboard and wiring, and the roof.

      p.72

    • 4. Request several comprehensive proposals Get two or three full quotes from certified installers. Each should spell out the full cost, warranties, servicing and battery backup.

      p.72

  3. Deliver

    1. 5 Secure funding and financial pathways
    2. 6 Build capability within whānau
    What this involves for Deliver, 2 items

    • 5. Secure funding and financial pathways Reserves, government grants, council funds, philanthropy, low-interest loans and iwi finance. Weigh the upfront cost against savings across generations.

      p.73

    • 6. Build capability within whānau Name whānau kaitiaki for the system and grow the know-how to run it well. It is also a way into the trades for rangatahi.

      p.74

What the report asks, and of whom.

The report, from Rewiring Aotearoa working with a Māori Steering Rōpū, asks for lower bills and safer communities, and for mana motuhake over the energy marae depend on.

  1. Government

    Ministers for Energy, Māori Development, Climate Change and Finance; Te Puni Kōkiri; EECA

    • Keep funding what already works. The Māori Climate Platform helped more than sixty marae install solar and resilience infrastructure, and it is ending. A dedicated marae fund would carry it on. p.77

    • Fund the machines, not just the roof. Solar on the roof with gas still in the kitchen captures only a fraction of the benefit. Funding should cover the electric machines too. p.77

    • Build on Aotearoa-made energy. A national energy strategy that treats marae as part of the country's energy infrastructure, not consumers at the end of the line. p.77

  2. Regulators

    Electricity Authority; Commerce Commission

    • Pay a fair price for exported solar. A price that reflects the value of clean, local energy, not the token rate too often on offer today. p.77

    • Let marae share their power. Multiple Trading Relationships and peer-to-peer trading would let a marae choose where its surplus goes, including the homes and papakāinga around it. p.77

    • Decide for the people who live here. Make decisions in the long-term interest of the communities the energy system serves, marae included. p.77

  3. Emergency management and transport

    National Emergency Management Agency and Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups; Minister of Transport; EECA

    • Recognise marae as resilience partners. Marae already act as resilience hubs. Policy should value them as partners in generation, distribution and resilience. p.78

    • Make marae part of the charging network. Support marae to act as electric corridors, hosting EV chargers on land that is already parked and connected. p.76

    • Set resilience standards for marae. New and rebuilt marae should meet resilience standards, including through electrification. p.75

  4. Iwi and rūnanga

    Rūnanga, iwi leadership and marae committees, and iwi with the capacity to invest

    • Bring the next decision forward. Help marae choose electric each time a machine reaches the end of its life, and sooner where you can. p.78

    • Help whānau follow. A revolving fund, a bulk buy across the papakāinga, or a dedicated pool for whānau electrification. p.78

    • Own a stake in the energy system. Invest in renewable generation and in the lines networks that carry power to every marae. p.79

Together, grants and finance are the difference between electrification reaching a fortunate few and reaching every marae that wants it.

Whakahiko Ngā Marae, draft report p.77

Get the report when it's released.

The full report will carry the modelled bills and savings for all six marae. Leave your email and we'll send it the day it's released.

Guided by a Māori Steering Rōpū.

Whakahiko Ngā Marae: Electric Marae is being written by Rewiring Aotearoa with the Whakahiko Ngā Marae Steering Rōpū, who give strategic direction, kaupapa Māori guidance and accountability. It is built on the energy data, bills and experiences that marae communities shared. The report acknowledges the support of the National Iwi Chairs Forum and the Electrification Iwi Leaders Group.

By combining renewable energy with battery storage, marae can continue to provide warmth, shelter, kai, communications, and support during power outages and natural disasters, ensuring they remain places of safety and hope when they are needed most.

Marama Royal, Chair, Pou Take Ahuarangi, National Iwi Chairs Forum p.2

Steering Rōpū p.3

  • Hinerangi Pere
  • Jaydan Salzke
  • Juliet Tainui-Hernandez
  • Kiritapu Allan
  • Levi Walford
  • Matiu Taurau
  • Matt Newman
  • Mel Wright
  • Michael Jamieson
  • Michael Rewi
  • Richard Jones
  • Will Edwards

This page draws on a draft of the report. The Steering Rōpū has not yet signed it off, and the modelled results are still being finished.