Taranaki piggery goes solar
Installing 400 solar panels at their Taranaki piggery and cropping operation will have significant environmental, financial and animal welfare benefits for the Stanley family.
MERIDIAN ENERGY and Westpac have joined forces to produce a ‘package’ to dairy farmers in particular to invest in solar power in their dairy sheds. The deal will officially launched at Fieldays this week.
As a promotion, solar panels have been installed on the roof of the dairy shed at the Westpac Taranaki Agricultural Research Station (TARS) at Hawera where DairyNZ does some research. The aim is to assess the use of solar power and to gather data for farmers visiting the research station.
In essence, Meridian has selected a suitable solar provider/installer, and Westpac is offering a three-year finance package to allow farmers to buy the solar panels. Average cost of an installation is $30,000.
Hamish McEwen, of Meridian, told Dairy News the venture embodies a sustainable solution that makes economic sense to farmers.
The solar system will not supply all the power required by an average dairy shed, McEwen says. “For the average shed we are talking about a 10kW package that will supply roughly a quarter of the power for the shed… offsetting some of the usage.”
The system will work nationwide, the calculations based on ‘New Zealand sunlight hours’. McEwen acknowledges New Zealand is known to be cloudy, but says the system will be effective nevertheless.
“We are using TARS as a test case. Solar has been used in New Zealand for some and we know it works. The real key factor that’s changed in the last few years is the cost of solar panels have reduced considerably which makes them an economic investment. What we are look at with the TARS pilot project is to see how well it will marry with a dairy operation. It’s really about how can you optimize it and make it even better,” he says.
McEwen says the power generated by the solar panels is direct current and with a series of isolators this is quite simply converted to alternating current which is used in the dairy shed. He says Meridian also a system whereby they will ‘buy back’ from the farmer any solar power that’s generated by them and not used. But he says ideally to get the maximum financial benefit, farmers should make the most use possible of the solar power generated.
In order to qualify for the deal farmers must be a Meridian customer and if they are not Westpac customers, they must use that bank to finance the package.
Federated Farmers has welcomed the launch.
Its energy spokesman Anders Crofoot is a user of solar power at Castlepoint Station in the Wairarapa.
It is an effective technology for supplying power to remote areas in a cost effective manner, he says.
“Being an early adopter of solar technology, the Solar Shed initiative by Westpac and Meridian will help to ease the initial cost outlay.
“At Castlepoint Station we use solar to power radio communications and wireless broadband over 3,700 hectares.
“With my Federated Farmers hat on, I can see dairy farmers looking to use the roof expanse of their milking sheds for solar panels. The same applies to other heavy energy users such as arable farms and large sheep and beef stations like Castlepoint.
“If a farm’s electricity bill is over $1,000 each month then the Solar Shed initiative may suit your business.”
The technology works and the Solar Shed initiative will now bring solar within the reach of many farmers says Crofoot.
The Good Carbon Farm has partnered with Tolaga Bay Heritage Charitable Trust to deliver its first project in Tairāwhiti Gisborne.
Education union NZEI Te Riu Roa says that while educators will support the Government’s investment in learning support, they’re likely to be disappointed that it has been paid for by defunding expert teachers.
The Government says it is sharpening its focus and support for the food and fibre industry in Budget 2025.
A European Union regulation ensuring that the products its citizens consume do not contribute to deforestation or forest degradation worldwide threatens $200m of New Zealand beef and leather exports.
A long-acting, controlled- release capsule designed to protect ewes from internal parasites during the lambing period is back on the market following a comprehensive reassessment.
Healthcare appears to be the big winner in this year's budget as agriculture and environment miss out.
OPINION: Last week's announcement of Prime Minister’s new Science and Technology Advisory Council hasn’t gone down too well in the…
OPINION: At its recent annual general meeting, Federated Farmers’ Auckland province called for New Zealand to withdraw from the Paris…