EECA funding helps winegrowers adopt solar and battery systems
Winegrowers interested in exploring solar and battery systems on their vineyards could tap into funding and advice through a new funding programme.
Until recently alternative energy was a niche market, normally talked about by people who had goatee beards and wore sandals with white socks. How times change.
The facial fungus is gone and the shoes are now designer; renewable energy has hit the main stream, and is now a topic talked over many dinner tables. The endless rise in the cost of energy now makes the topic a firm consideration if you are building new, or indeed, renovating an older property. With this interest there has been a raft of new businesses formed to harness the energy saving properties of wind, rain and sunshine, and with such installations, major financial savings
Looking at sunshine in particular, and the early days of solar panels, we saw large, bulky glass panels that were clamped to north facing roofs after they had passed the rigours of the local planning department. They ‘looked’ different, and in many cases only got planning consent if they were hidden in roofing valleys where they as likely as not performed poorly. Solar panels also suffered a reputation of poor reliability, were easily damaged under the feet of a tradesman, or by an errant cricket ball hit for a six!
Calder Stewart Roofing Limited has come up with a solution that addresses many of the problems with a product called Solar –Rib
Featuring a steel roofing system with a modern wide valley profile, it would not look out of place on any modern design. If renewable energy is not your thing right now, no problem, it’s good roofing material. But if you do want to go down the RE route it lends itself to be used with photo-voltaic (PV) laminates, either from new or as an upgrade in the future.
PV laminates supplied by Calder Stewart are manufactured by Marcegaglia in Italy, who claim to be market leaders in this technology with 50 factories worldwide. The laminate panels are only 5mm thick and less noticeable than conventional glass solar units, and as such should fit in well where planning regulations require low impact on the surrounding environment.
The product comes with a 25 year warranty, and has the potential to generate 1kW of electricity for each 20m2 of laminate installed, so an average sized house has the potential to deliver 3-5kW of power. Other points to consider are laminates need a much shallower roof angle to generate the same power as conventional systems, they are resistant to rain, hail, snow and a tradesman size 11 safety boot.
According to ASB, Fonterra's plan to sell it's Anchor and Mainlands brands could inject $4.5 billion in additional spending into the economy.
New Zealand’s trade with the European Union has jumped $2 billion since a free trade deal entered into force in May last year.
The climate of uncertainty and market fragmentation that currently characterises the global economy suggests that many of the European agricultural machinery manufacturers will be looking for new markets.
Dignitaries from all walks of life – the governor general, politicians past and present, Maoridom- including the Maori Queen, church leaders, the primary sector and family and friends packed Our Lady of Kapiti’s Catholic church in Paraparaumu on Thursday October 23 to pay tribute to former prime Minister, Jim Bolger who died last week.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister, Todd McClay is encouraging farmers, growers, and foresters not to take unnecessary risks, asking that they heed weather warnings today.
With nearly two million underutilised dairy calves born annually and the beef price outlook strong, New Zealand’s opportunity to build a scalable dairy-beef system is now.
OPINION: Voting is underway for Fonterra’s divestment proposal, with shareholders deciding whether or not sell its consumer brands business.
OPINION: Politicians and Wellington bureaucrats should take a leaf out of the book of Canterbury District Police Commander Superintendent Tony Hill.