Yesterday it was announced that Sam Neill had suddenly passed away and that spurred me to write a short post.
The acclaimed actor was a man of many incredible talents, but a solar scientist? Who knew!
In January 2024, the professional circles in which I live were thrown into turmoil. Suddenly our industry had a real rock star and he just released a very informative short video to explain exactly what he had installed at his winery in New Zealand.
This 100kW solar power system included my favorites: 3 Australian made Stronic SP Pros, battery inverters that are second to none. Austrian-made Fronius Eco solar inverters, plus a few stacks of Australian PowerPlus 48-volt lithium batteries. The same recipe I have since used in my own home, albeit on a smaller scale.
For my money, Sir Sam Neill makes it clear to you that rather than Australians referring to the New Zealander as our Sam, we might be better off if we accepted being better managed as the West Island of New Zealand. The electrical standards are already the same.
It’s pretty easy to see how universally respected and loved this guy is around the world.
“She Likes Me” – a still from Death in Brunswick.
Dry joke on a dry topic
The shock I have seen in the last 12 hours restores some faith in humanity. The impromptu public eulogy is perhaps tempered when one imagines how much laughter he would now have with fellow Kiwi genius John Clark.
Everyone in the solar industry was amazed by the nuance and highly technical nature of Sam’s leadership of his newly installed technology. I really encourage you to see for yourself one of the best performances I have ever seen, surpassed only by the Australian cult classic Death in Brunswick.
Watch a few minutes of Sam’s video about his solar system and then come back so I can make a weak point.
Why are both performances so good in my humble opinion? Simply because they are both silly and self-deprecating and make you laugh.
Why do I point this fragment of an Adlib video to a brilliant career and extensive body of work?
Honestly, my first thought when I first saw it was that it was just a nice little farce from a guy who didn’t take himself too seriously.
To own an Austin A40 Farina you have to have a dry mind.
The importance of clear instructions
My second thought was that this perfectly intelligent customer probably just received an introduction to the technology from an electrician who knows it very well, and yet despite his excellent skills, Sam tries to explain it to the camera.
Most people would be in the same situation, which just highlights the importance of clear instructions. If it were simply labeled, with a simple series of numbers, anyone could understand how to turn it off, even if they didn’t remember the words.
No wonder even a respected solar scientist like Sam Neill couldn’t figure out what battery labels are supposed to mean.
The rigid, fussy, technical jargon of Australia’s solar labeling law seems the exact opposite, but in reality it is as much of a farce as Sam Neill’s tour of his own solar energy.
And I can’t think of a better guy to poke fun at the embarrassing, nonsensical rules imposed on us.
Vale Sam Neill, you will be sorely missed.
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