Hobsonville sub-station to supply power to 7,500 future properties

Significant commercial and residential developments have been forecasted for the Hobsonville area which includes Hobsonville Point, Scott Point and Whenuapai. The area has seen significant development activity over recent years, including the conversion of the old air force base into a medium density township. 

We’re building a new state-of-the-art substation at 439 Hobsonville Road (sometimes listed as 98 Buckley Avenue) to provide future supply to an estimated 7,500 dwellings and the development of a large commercial area between Upper Harbour Highway and Hobsonville Road. 
 
An architect’s render of the substation, Hobsonville Road is to the right of the render.

Set back from Hobsonville Road, the new sub-station will be a modern, contemporary building that incorporates the same integrated grid scale Tesla Powerpack battery storage system used at our Glen Innes substation. The batteries have a storage capacity of 1MW-2.3MWh - the equivalent to powering 450 average homes for nearly two hours.

The battery system works by drawing and storing electricity from Vector’s electricity network at times when demand for electricity is low. When demand for electricity increases, the batteries release stored energy to supplement the electricity supply from Vector’s main network. By installing this battery system as part of the substation, we can better manage peaks on the network and defer investment in more expensive network assets.

Building consent has been received for the site and building work has commenced with completion targeted for early 2019. 

A community engagement plan has been put in place for the Hobsonville community and nearby residents have received information through a letter drop. 

Please contact us at community@vector.co.nz if you have any queries.
 

FAQS

My home is right next to the substation, will this block the sun from my home?

The sub-station shouldn’t block sunlight from your home as our design has taken this into consideration. 

Will the value of my house be affected by its proximity to the substation?

Our substation has been designed to aesthetically blend in with neighbouring buildings with regards to colour and materials used. We don’t believe that the substation will affect the value of properties nearby, especially given the shortage of homes across Auckland. A number of other substations are also in suburbs close to homes that they supply e.g. substations in Mt. Wellington, Glen Innes and Mt. Roskill. 

My house is right next to the substation or just across the road from it.
Why wasn’t I told when I purchased my home?

The site on which the substation is to be built has been owned for many years by Vector. As land around this site has been developed for residential and commercial properties, it made sense to use this site to supply power to the fast-growing Hobsonville region. 

Will there be any noise from the substation?

There will be low level white noise from the substation that should not be noticeable from inside your home. 

What is the distance between the substation and the home closest to it?
Approximately 20 metres.