title: Me ko Māui: Harnessing the sun to provide better outcomes for marae and communities

authors: Greensill, Waikauri

abstract: Marae are the cultural centres of Māori communities, providing a space for important gatherings both joyful and sad. With the advent of solar energy capture technologies and rising electricity bills, many marae are becoming interested in whether a solar powered system will be beneficial for them. However, marae have unique electricity demand profiles, distinct from commonly modelled building types such as residential or commercial buildings. It is thus difficult to estimate an appropriate solar and battery system size based on annual or even monthly electricity usage data, which may be the only data readily available, requiring more in-depth analysis at a highly site-specific level to find an answer. This thesis aims to increase understanding around how solar power could benefit marae, first by investigating the characteristic electricity demand profile of marae, then by observing how proposed system configurations meet the demand. The potential community benefits arising from such a system was also investigated. Using a year’s worth of half-hourly data from three marae, five characteristic day types were found in the analysis of the demand profile, namely a “Non-Event” profile that maintained a low baseload and accounted for 70% of the days in a year, a “1-Day Event” profile that lasted only a few hours, and for events spanning multiple days a “Start”, “Middle” and “End” day profile that varied greatly in demand magnitude. The demand profiles were then used to develop an annual demand profile for an average marae that was broadly representative of a wide range of marae. Different configurations of solar and battery powered systems were then applied to the annual demand and a technoeconomic analysis performed to determine whether a specific configuration met the needs of the average marae or not, which then produced a range of acceptable system sizes based on the needs specified. Not many solar and battery configurations resulted in positive economic returns for the marae alone, but widening the scope of the analysis to the surrounding community allows other interests such as local grid resilience to be considered, some of which may justify a marae’s decision to invest in a non-economic system to gain better community benefits. While investigating the use of peer-to-peer energy trading and community energy scenarios, sharing excess energy generated by a system with the wider community was also found to improve the economic outlook of solar for marae.

text: Me ko Māui: Harnessing the sun to provide better outcomes for marae and communities Marae are the cultural centres of Māori communities, providing a space for important gatherings both joyful and sad. With the advent of solar energy capture technologies and rising electricity bills, many marae are becoming interested in whether a solar powered system will be beneficial for them. However, marae have unique electricity demand profiles, distinct from commonly modelled building types such as residential or commercial buildings. It is thus difficult to estimate an appropriate solar and battery system size based on annual or even monthly electricity usage data, which may be the only data readily available, requiring more in-depth analysis at a highly site-specific level to find an answer. This thesis aims to increase understanding around how solar power could benefit marae, first by investigating the characteristic electricity demand profile of marae, then by observing how proposed system configurations meet the demand. The potential community benefits arising from such a system was also investigated. Using a year’s worth of half-hourly data from three marae, five characteristic day types were found in the analysis of the demand profile, namely a “Non-Event” profile that maintained a low baseload and accounted for 70% of the days in a year, a “1-Day Event” profile that lasted only a few hours, and for events spanning multiple days a “Start”, “Middle” and “End” day profile that varied greatly in demand magnitude. The demand profiles were then used to develop an annual demand profile for an average marae that was broadly representative of a wide range of marae. Different configurations of solar and battery powered systems were then applied to the annual demand and a technoeconomic analysis performed to determine whether a specific configuration met the needs of the average marae or not, which then produced a range of acceptable system sizes based on the needs specified. Not many solar and battery configurations resulted in positive economic returns for the marae alone, but widening the scope of the analysis to the surrounding community allows other interests such as local grid resilience to be considered, some of which may justify a marae’s decision to invest in a non-economic system to gain better community benefits. While investigating the use of peer-to-peer energy trading and community energy scenarios, sharing excess energy generated by a system with the wider community was also found to improve the economic outlook of solar for marae.

year: 2024

title: Sustainable management, a sustainable ethic?

authors: Daya-Winterbottom, Trevor

abstract: New Zealand legislated for sustainability by enacting the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). The RMA received the Royal Assent on 22 July 1991 and came into force as law on 1 October 1991. It restated and reformed “the law relating to the use of land, air, and water”, and is the principal statute governing the New Zealand environment. 
Despite the rhetoric of sustainable management, environmental law and governance in New Zealand continue to grapple with persistent challenges in relation to protecting biodiversity on private land, maintaining freshwater quantity and quality, and recognising Maori interests in resource management. New strategies are however emerging for promoting environmental justice and using the law to advance sustainability. My paper will therefore explore these aspects of the New Zealand experiment in legislating for sustainable management.

text: Sustainable management, a sustainable ethic? New Zealand legislated for sustainability by enacting the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). The RMA received the Royal Assent on 22 July 1991 and came into force as law on 1 October 1991. It restated and reformed “the law relating to the use of land, air, and water”, and is the principal statute governing the New Zealand environment. 
Despite the rhetoric of sustainable management, environmental law and governance in New Zealand continue to grapple with persistent challenges in relation to protecting biodiversity on private land, maintaining freshwater quantity and quality, and recognising Maori interests in resource management. New strategies are however emerging for promoting environmental justice and using the law to advance sustainability. My paper will therefore explore these aspects of the New Zealand experiment in legislating for sustainable management.

year: 2012

title: Geochemical, Spatial, and Temporal Drivers of Microbial Community Heterogeneity in the Meltwater Ponds of Antarctica

authors: Archer, Stephen David James

subjects: microbial

abstract: Antarctic meltwater ponds are an abundant, dynamic and sensitive yet poorly understood ecosystem. In this thesis, bacterial communities from surface waters, the water column and benthic zone in geochemically variable meltwater ponds in the Ross Sea Region of Antarctica were investigated. The primary objective of this research was to provide a detailed description of the community composition and to determine the temporal, geochemical and geomorphological drivers of community structure.
	A coordinated comparable analysis method was used for all samples so that, although separated into the previously mentioned zones, findings could be directly compared across studies. Bacterial community structure between samples was initially investigated by Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis (ARISA) of the 16S rRNA gene which, combined with in-situ collected geochemistry data was used to identify trends requiring high throughput sequencing (454 pyrosequencing of the V5-V6 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene) analysis coupled with nutrient and elemental data.
	A preliminary study in December 2009 compared the water columns of five geochemically distinct ponds. Communities between ponds were distinct, their structure driven primarily by pH and conductivity. One geochemically stratified pond formed distinct surface and bottom clusters with increasing diversity and changes to phyla structure with depth. 
	Temporal and geomorphological (Bratina Island and Miers Valley) drivers of variation in the microbial community structure between the surface waters of 41 ponds were examined. Conductivity was identified as the most significant driver across all ponds for the dominant cosmopolitan community, however trace elements were more significant drivers of community structure for the unique community (those sequences absent in at least one pond). Pronounced variation was identified between December and January samples and although the bacterial components of the community were similar between January 2012 and 2013 the community structure varied significantly. Despite different environments, communities from the Miers Valley were not well differentiated from Bratina Island, suggesting biological exchange between locations.
	The stratified water column of six Bratina Island and two Miers Valley ponds was investigated. Strongly geochemically stratified ponds exhibited a heterogeneous vertical community structure related to conductivity and dissolved oxygen. Variation in community structure was primarily driven by the abundance of a small number of cosmopolitan OTUs that changed with depth. Although the biological constituents were the same, minor variation in community structure was identified within Huey pond between years (2012 and 2013). Variation between Huey pond (Bratina Island) and Morepork pond (Miers Valley) was correlated with variation of iron and mercury concentration.
	Lastly the benthic zone of six ponds from Bratina Island and six from the Miers Valley was examined. The community structure was highly heterogeneous and diverse with 21 phyla identified. No distinction was identified between the two locations with the majority of pyrosequencing reads shared. Potassium, sodium and cobalt were identified as the most significant explanatory variables to the cosmopolitan community and aluminium, uranium and magnesium to the unique community.
	This study has granted an unprecedented understanding of the bacterial communities in the meltwater ponds of the Ross Sea Region. Geochemical inter pond heterogeneity is matched with an equally heterogeneous bacterial communities, primarily driven by conductivity. Although harboring a complex and diverse community the majority is comprised of a small number of shared OTUs across spatial and temporal scales.

text: Geochemical, Spatial, and Temporal Drivers of Microbial Community Heterogeneity in the Meltwater Ponds of Antarctica Antarctic meltwater ponds are an abundant, dynamic and sensitive yet poorly understood ecosystem. In this thesis, bacterial communities from surface waters, the water column and benthic zone in geochemically variable meltwater ponds in the Ross Sea Region of Antarctica were investigated. The primary objective of this research was to provide a detailed description of the community composition and to determine the temporal, geochemical and geomorphological drivers of community structure.
	A coordinated comparable analysis method was used for all samples so that, although separated into the previously mentioned zones, findings could be directly compared across studies. Bacterial community structure between samples was initially investigated by Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis (ARISA) of the 16S rRNA gene which, combined with in-situ collected geochemistry data was used to identify trends requiring high throughput sequencing (454 pyrosequencing of the V5-V6 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene) analysis coupled with nutrient and elemental data.
	A preliminary study in December 2009 compared the water columns of five geochemically distinct ponds. Communities between ponds were distinct, their structure driven primarily by pH and conductivity. One geochemically stratified pond formed distinct surface and bottom clusters with increasing diversity and changes to phyla structure with depth. 
	Temporal and geomorphological (Bratina Island and Miers Valley) drivers of variation in the microbial community structure between the surface waters of 41 ponds were examined. Conductivity was identified as the most significant driver across all ponds for the dominant cosmopolitan community, however trace elements were more significant drivers of community structure for the unique community (those sequences absent in at least one pond). Pronounced variation was identified between December and January samples and although the bacterial components of the community were similar between January 2012 and 2013 the community structure varied significantly. Despite different environments, communities from the Miers Valley were not well differentiated from Bratina Island, suggesting biological exchange between locations.
	The stratified water column of six Bratina Island and two Miers Valley ponds was investigated. Strongly geochemically stratified ponds exhibited a heterogeneous vertical community structure related to conductivity and dissolved oxygen. Variation in community structure was primarily driven by the abundance of a small number of cosmopolitan OTUs that changed with depth. Although the biological constituents were the same, minor variation in community structure was identified within Huey pond between years (2012 and 2013). Variation between Huey pond (Bratina Island) and Morepork pond (Miers Valley) was correlated with variation of iron and mercury concentration.
	Lastly the benthic zone of six ponds from Bratina Island and six from the Miers Valley was examined. The community structure was highly heterogeneous and diverse with 21 phyla identified. No distinction was identified between the two locations with the majority of pyrosequencing reads shared. Potassium, sodium and cobalt were identified as the most significant explanatory variables to the cosmopolitan community and aluminium, uranium and magnesium to the unique community.
	This study has granted an unprecedented understanding of the bacterial communities in the meltwater ponds of the Ross Sea Region. Geochemical inter pond heterogeneity is matched with an equally heterogeneous bacterial communities, primarily driven by conductivity. Although harboring a complex and diverse community the majority is comprised of a small number of shared OTUs across spatial and temporal scales.

year: 2015