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Solar is already cheap and an increasing number of farmers are discovering that, but Mattt Luscombe has found a way to make it even cheaper. The founder of FarmGen says architects like steel, but engineers like efficiency and taking steel out of the build and instead relying on ground anchors means the owners get more generation for less outlay.
His 1.4 megawatt system has 4000 panels set up at lower angles to reduce shade impact. This is about twice the number a typical system in that space would fit.
Because it's modular and has pre-set sizes, his team can install these systems a lot faster than the traditional approach. That saves money as well and it ends up being about half the cost of a domestic rooftop installation.
Farmers often have unused or unproductive chunks of land where these systems can sit. And while Rewiring was pleased to see more support and demonstration grants from EECA for farmers looking to get solar and batteries, plenty of keen farmers missed out. As a way to help them get what they want, Luscombe says he will match those deals.
When farmers go solar, they start to look at other ways of using the cheap, clean energy they're creating. And that's when we'll start to see more electric machines on farm.
A collection of savvy businesses flipping their fleets and flagging the fuel; countries more reliant on gas for electricity are dealing with higher prices and LNG-loving Japan is looking at a $US3 billion subsidy to help people deal with high costs, which is exactly why we shouldn't get stuck in the gas trap; Australia shows what a solar and batteries strategy can do to change the system, Norway shows what an EV strategy can do to transport and New Zealand shows ... uh, not much, unfortunately; despite gas stoves becoming a culture war prop, lots of Americans will soon experience the joys of induction; and the cruise industry charts some electric waters.
With interest in residential solar skyrocketing, Rewiring Aotearoa's Mike Casey talks to RNZ's Lisa Owen about the role long-term, low-interest loans through the Ratepayer Assistance Scheme could play to ensure more New Zealanders can access the savings it offers.
What do National, Labour, the Greens, New Zealand First, Act, Te Pati Māori and The Opportunity Party have in common? And, no, this is not a joke.
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