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INNOVATION IN PRACTICE
costs continue to drop. This is why we’re advo- cating for farmers to prepare for the inevitable, invest in their own power plants and start farm- ing electricity. Early generations of farmers had to learn to be self-sufficient and make the most of the re- sources they had around them. And what farm- ers have around them now is plenty of land, lots of sun, increasing demand for renewable elec- tricity, and a need to save money and diversify their revenue streams. Using, creating, and storing more electricity on our farms is a win for farmers, a win for commun- ities, and a win for the environment. So let’s make those farms electric.
tric vehicles and powering them with solar and batteries. Similar economic and environmental benefits apply there as well and it is often a good place for farmers to start so they can see firsthand that when you’re generating your own energy so cheaply, it makes economic sense to use as much of it as possible. One of the misconceptions about the modern electric vehicle (EV) is that they’re not suited to rural areas. Farmers drive a lot more than the average motorist and the more you drive, the more you tend to save with an EV , especially if it’s charged with cheap solar energy. Modern EVs are very impressive machines. I have been taking mine up to the ski fields for the past few years with no problem at all. Our new 4WD EV seven-seater was used to tow up to two tonnes of our electric cherries down to the pack- house near Cromwell. The economic argument for going electric in- creasingly stacks up for more of the rural sector and there are savings on the table right now that can help make farms more profitable. Replace- ment electric machines don’t exist for all use cases yet, but they are coming and the upfront
All dollars and cents shown are in New Zealand currency.
Mike Casey is an entrepreneur and cherry orchard- ist from Central Otago, on the South Island of New Zealand, who has electrified all the machines on his farm. He is also the CEO of Rewiring Aotearoa, a New Zealand charity dedicated to electrifying millions of fossil fuel machines across the motu as quickly as possible. year from exporting during peak periods. Software automatically exports from bat- teries when the wholesale price reaches a certain level and charges electric machines when rates are low. The Forest Lodge set-up: • 160 kilowatts of rooftop and ground mount solar panels (approximately 250 panels). • 300 kilowatt-hours of battery storage. • 21 electric machines on farm, including the country’s first electric tractor. • Two electric frost-fighting fans. • Electric golf carts for farm transport. • Electric tools. • How much are they saving? • Total operational savings - approximately $40,000/year. • Additional revenue - approximately $20,000/
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