Sharing Benefits
Power that Gives Back
Sharing benefits is central to the WE Share framework. When communities generate, store, and manage more of their own energy, the advantages go beyond lower bills — strengthening connection, resilience, and fairness across the island.
“Sharing” never means giving up your energy or losing money — unless you choose to donate surplus value by choice.
The Essentials
Fair Value for All
Participation pathways are designed so benefits can grow in balance with contribution — for households, community sites, and the wider island.
Community Resilience
Shared solar and battery systems help keep essential facilities powered during outages or peak events.
Local Investment
Money that once left the island through energy bills can instead stay circulating locally and support projects such as schools, halls, or community initiatives.
Transparency and Trust
Clear information and open participation processes help everyone understand how benefits flow and who receives them.
How the Benefits Flow
When rooftop solar and battery systems generate surplus energy, that value can support both individual participants and the wider community. Smart, aligned management — led by households, community sites, and technical partners — helps ensure benefits can grow fairly and no one is left behind.
Over time, the framework aims to support future models such as shared savings, community-benefit funds, or energy-credit pathways as they become viable and community-supported.
Who Makes It Possible
The WE Share network is built on collaboration.
Participant Members
Households, schools, and community venues with their own solar or battery systems contribute to the wider impact by participating in ways that work for them — always by choice, never at a loss
Community Circles & Governance Hubs
Local project groups support transparent processes so benefits grow in ways the community can see and trust.
Education & Youth Partners
Schools and learning programmes help connect young people with energy innovation and stewardship.
Working With Our Partners
- Framework Partners
Vector and Ecotricity face the real challenges of grid peaks and rising demand. WE Share’s community-aligned framework sits alongside their work — creating opportunities for households and community sites to participate in ways that support resilience, flexibility, and shared benefit.
- Innovation Partners
WE Share collaborates with several innovation partners — this is where many of the exciting opportunities emerge for the community, as new tools and ideas are tested in ways that support fair, transparent participation.
- Research and Standard Support
The University of Auckland provides research insight and evaluation support, and SEANZ contributes standards guidance for installation and industry practice. The Electricity Authority’s Power Innovation Programme (PIP) remains an application in progress.
In Practice
The Waiheke Blueprint captures what we learn from real projects with households, community sites, and partners — including practical outcomes for affordability, reliability, and community wellbeing. Real projects show how communities and partners can turn new ideas into practical local benefits.
The Short Version
- Sharing never means giving up your energy or losing money — participation is always on your terms.
- When people take part, the whole island gains resilience, fairness, and practical local benefit.