On the day, Solayer co-founder Becks Smith crunched the numbers on two solar systems able to generate enough electricity for Tony Roberts to run his deer and cattle farm in Eastern Southland. Shawn McAvinue was there.
Rising fuel costs and power outages energised a group of Southland deer farmers to hold a field day exploring alternative energy solutions.
The Southland Environment Advance Party held the field day "Your farm, your power" on Tony and Michelle Roberts’ deer farm Top Deck Trading in Merino Downs, near Gore, last week.
Mr Roberts said all of the group members were deer farmers focused on environmental issues relating to their industry.
Party facilitator Nicola McGrouther, of Dunedin, said motivating factors for the field day included rising fuel prices due to the ongoing war in the Middle East and the widespread power outages in the South due to a storm in October last year.
The group selected Solayer co-founder Becks Smith, of Maniototo, to speak because the many hats she wore included deer farmer and being a co-founder of a company delivering integrated energy solutions, such as solar.
Mrs McGrouther discovered people selling solar systems to farmers often had a primary focus on supplying the dairy industry.
The energy needs of a deer farmer were different and Mrs Smith would know the questions deer farmers need to ask when obtaining quotes to install a solar system, Mrs McGrouther said.
If farmers were paying between 10 and 12 cents or more per kilowatt-hour (kWh), she guaranteed a farmer could generate their own solar power more cheaply.
Generally, solar power had a fixed cost of between 7 and 10 cents per kWh for fixed 25 years.
"It is pretty compelling, as we know power prices are only going one way."
She urged farmers to get up to three quotes from different solar companies to compare.
If a farmer was quoted more than $1700 per kW for a straightforward install, without a battery, then they should keep shopping.
Farmers getting a quote for a solar system including a battery, should allow for another $1000 per kW of battery storage.
Farmers might be able to reduce the installation cost by providing labour or doing some of the work themselves, like trenching and digging holes.
Batteries and invertors generally had a 10-year warranty or slightly longer, she said.
Mrs Smith crunched the numbers for two sizes of solar systems to generate at least the 11,250kWh annual electricity use on the Roberts’ nearly 270ha farm in Merino Downs.
Option one: Larger system with battery
The solution:
• 27.8kW solar array (54 panels).
• 30kW inverter.
• 9kWh batter storage.
• Ground mount system.
The money:
• Total investment: $61,000 plus GST.
• Estimated savings: $4800 a year.
• Payback period: 12 years.
Key insights:
• System produces more than 300% of current energy demand.
• Export returns in this system are based on their current tariff of 10c/kW exported, which is very low.
• Shifting to a better tariff option could cut down payback to between 7 and 10 years.
Option two: Small system with no battery
The solution:
• 9.3kW solar array (18 panels).
• 6kW inverter.
• No battery.
The money:
• Total investment: $22,800 plus GST.
• Estimated savings: $1860 a year.
• Payback period: 11 years.
Key insights:
• System closely matches current energy use.
• Lower cost, simpler system, less reliance on export but less resilience because when the grid goes down, so does this system.
A smaller system could save farmers money now and more batteries and panels could be added to an existing system at a later date.
If farmers had surplus electrical energy leftover, farmers could make at least 50% profit on it.
"The real value is using it yourself."
She once paid $28,000 a year to power one irrigation pump on her farm.
The installation of a solar system halved the annual energy cost for the running the pump to $14,000 a year.
Mrs Smith also talked about other on-farm energy options.
Micro hydro "generates power 24/7 and is very reliable once installed" but challenges included getting the hydro generation close to the site of energy consumption or grid connection.
Considerations for a micro hydro system includes it requiring a consistent flow and vertical drop of water and the system might need a consent.
Small wind turbines were best for exposed sites with strong, consistent wind and could complement a solar system by generating power in winter and poor weather.
Considerations for small wind turbines include it being highly site-specific, its height and placement were critical, its performance was often overestimated and consents were often required.
The Electric Motor Vehicle Company director Alex de Boer, of Owaka, brought electric vehicles to the field day for farmers to test drive including a Hisun Elite utility terrain vehicle.
Deer did not like noise so electric vehicles suited the sector, Mr de Boer said.
"Once you own one, you’ll appreciate it. You’ve got your wife next to you and you can actually talk to her," Mr de Boer said.
