
FarmGen and AgFirst are collaborating on rural solar and Graeme Davison's 75kW, $85,000 solar system is a good example of the savings on offer. He installed the system in August "after his electricity costs jumped 23%, from $34,000 three years ago to $46,000" and uses it to power his milking shed. "Most farms of this size save between $17,000 and $25,000 a year for an $85,000 investment," he says, so the payback is pretty quick.
There's plenty of demand for solar on farms already and that has likely increased after those with solar and batteries were able to keep running even though the grid went down after the recent storms. And with Fonterra farmers eyeing a big payout after the sale of the consumer brands, investing in some resilience that can pay itself off every day is looking like a pretty good bet.
Political Power has gone local! Dr Nick Smith, mayor of Nelson and ex-National Party minister, is an early adopter when it comes to electric machines but, through his efforts with the council and his close involvement with the Ratepayer Assistance Scheme, he's also embracing one of Rewiring's core mantras: once you've electrified your own life, electrify someone else's life, too.
Read moreDownloadWelcome back to LNG FM, where your host Old Man Gas tries his best to justify the 'big, beautiful, multi-billion dollar import terminal'.As our campaign suggests, you really shouldn't listen to this guy! Let's ditch LNG and back New Zealand-made energy.
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