Operation Laser Kiwi: help us take New Zealand-made energy on the road
Roger Robson-Williams owns 20% of New Zealand's electric tractor fleet. That sounds impressive, until you learn there are only five of them. But, like his fellow electric tractor enthusiast Mike Casey, he's on a mission to change that by providing a bit of inspiration and information.
Roger works "at the intersection of sustainability leadership and lived practice" and, alongside his partner Melissa, is regenerating some native bush and growing food on an eight hectare farm in North Canterbury.
He says it's helpful to have a tractor for that kind of work, but it's also incoherent to be burning diesel given the sustainability focus. So, with the help of Loxley Innovation, he retrofitted an old Kubota.
LOT-e1 (pronounced 'Lottie' and short for Little Orange Tractor, electric, number 1) can be charged mostly on homegrown solar energy and while it's a small tractor designed for a small bit of land, he says it provides a proof of concept and shows that you can be productive without diesel.
With two-way charging, he says the tractor can also run the house (or, at the Electrify Nelson expo, cook a few bao buns) and, given a tractor sits idle for 90- 95% of the time, it makes sense for it to power something else with its big battery.
As more and more larger machines come out with electric options and as the diesel price keeps bouncing around and putting farmers under pressure, it's looking likely that the electric tractor fleet will grow, as will the number of farmers producing their own energy to run them.
People installing solar power systems with batteries on their homes, hoping to avoid the disruption of a power cut, are being told to check with the installer that the battery can provide that protection.
Read moreDownloadKiwis are catching on to the benefits of solar panels - and demand's spiking ... But the industry warns we need about six thousand more trained electricians - across the country - to do the work. Rewiring Aotearoa Chief Executive, Mike Casey told Heather du Plessis-Allan he hopes interest will continue over time. He says oil shortages because of the Iran war is keeping demand high - with energy prices climbing. He says solar is the one reprieve Kiwis get.
Roger Robson-Williams owns 20% of New Zealand's electric tractor fleet. That sounds impressive, until you learn there are only five of them. But, like his fellow electric tractor enthusiast Mike Casey, he's on a mission to change that by providing a bit of inspiration and information.
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