Minister for Regulation David Seymour has released a review with 15 recommendations to make it easier to install solar panels in New Zealand, including legalising plug-in solar panels that are currently banned over electricity and fire safety concerns.

The review, published by the Ministry for Regulation on 30 July 2026, covers residential and small-to-medium-scale solar installations — rooftop, ground-mounted, and plug-in systems. The Ministry estimates the recommendations could deliver net benefits of between $28 million and $50 million over 10 years, and expects all 15 could be in place within 18 months. Initial advice on the review's options is due later in 2026. Ministry for Regulation

A typical residential solar system costs between $8,500 and $11,500, according to the Ministry for Regulation. Seymour has said most New Zealand households could save more than $1,000 a year on electricity by switching to solar, and that installation currently takes months. Beehive.govt.nz

The plug-in solar recommendation is likely to draw the most attention. Plug-in solar panels connect directly into a standard household wall socket, rather than being hard-wired into a home's switchboard by an electrician. They are illegal in New Zealand because of concerns about electricity and fire risks. Seymour noted that in Australia, consumers can buy them at Kmart and use them without restriction. RNZ

The electrification advocacy group Rewiring Aotearoa welcomed the 15 recommendations. Its policy director, Dave Karl, backed the package. Heath Coleman, co-founder of solar industry company Future Energy, also features in the industry response. Consumer NZ's power switch manager, Paul Fuge, said solar installations typically take less than a decade to pay themselves back — meaning the savings on power bills eventually exceed the upfront cost. RNZ

The review builds on an earlier RNZ report that the Ministry for Regulation had recommended legalising plug-in solar. The broader review was first signalled in a Beehive press release titled "Solar panel installation to be done at lightspeed," published on 7 May 2026, when the review was formally launched. Seymour also announced a separate "Solar on schools" initiative in 2026, stating that schools will save money, have greater energy security, and reduce energy bills. Beehive.govt.nz

The broader context here is that the 18-month implementation timeline matters because installation delays are a recurring complaint in the sector. Seymour's framing — that installation "currently takes months" — signals the review is as much about cutting through regulatory friction as it is about upfront cost. The $28 million to $50 million net benefit estimate is modest in fiscal terms, but it is concentrated in household-level savings rather than government spending. That fits ACT's long-standing preference for making things easier for consumers through deregulation rather than through subsidies.

The plug-in solar proposal is the most politically charged element. The ban rests on genuine electrical safety grounds, and any loosening of the rules will need to satisfy WorkSafe and electrical code requirements. Australia's more relaxed approach, which Seymour cited, operates under a different regulatory system. Bringing that model to New Zealand would require products that meet electrical compliance standards and likely some form of installer or consumer certification, even if the overall compliance burden ends up lighter than the current outright ban.

For the solar industry, the recommendations arrive when payback periods are already shrinking. Consumer NZ's Fuge putting the typical payback at under a decade gives the review a tailwind: the economics are improving on their own, which means the 15 recommendations could speed things up further rather than rescue an investment that does not make sense. Rewiring Aotearoa's endorsement — from a group focused on electrification rather than industry interests — suggests the package has drawn support beyond the usual commercial voices.

What is not yet clear is how quickly Cabinet adopts the recommendations and which agencies take the lead on putting them into practice. The Ministry for Regulation's expectation that all 15 can be in place within 18 months is an internal estimate, not a Cabinet commitment. The review covers a mix of building consent, electrical safety, and retail market settings, which means multiple ministers and agencies will need to coordinate. The "Solar on schools" initiative, while separate, signals the government is thinking about solar uptake across the public estate as well as the private market.