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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.
Anyone who upgrades their gas hot water system to a hot water heat pump is a Bright Spark in our eyes and that's what Kingston resident Jason Roberts has just done - with an assist from the Queenstown Electrification Accelerator's group discount scheme.
Read moreDownloadSt John's electric emergency mobile shifts down south after a successful trial in Waikato (while hydrogen buses in Scotland get the axe); Hutt City Council and Nelson City Council embrace some big electric machines; battery health concerns are proven to be a non-issue by individual drivers doing big numbers and a big new study over 7,000 vehicles; what fuel waste looks like when you capture it; the solar demographic split; and Oli Frost releases a new kids' book focused on law firms.
Read moreDownloadFollowing stories in the media of solar customers who are not getting the promised bill reductions from solar, Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey joined Jesse Mulligan to talk about what to look out for, how to ensure you get a quality install and why the vast majority of people are very satisfied with their solar.