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Talking Dairy · July 7 · 23 min

Thinking about solar? Start here | Ep. 129

Power costs continue to rise, and a lot of farmers are asking the same question: could solar work on my farm? In this episode, you’ll hear from Chris McArthur from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority’s (EECA) Solar on Farms programme and Rhys Mackenzie, a dairy farmer who’s making the move to solar on his farm. Together, they talk through what solar and batteries can realistically do on a dairy farm, where they add value, and what you need to think about before you invest. You’ll get independent advice from Chris McArthur, alongside practical on-farm insight from Rhys Mackenzie as he shares what sparked the decision, what surprised him, and what he’d tell other farmers thinking about solar. Find out more: Read the farm case study: Fairbank Farms Watch Fairbank Farms' experience with solar on farm Sign up to find out about EECA Solar on farms news and open days Read: Practical guidance for solar on farms | Inside Dairy Solar power on-farm information | DairyNZ EECA Solar helpline for farmers A dedicated solar helpline for farmers and growers, providing independent, practical guidance to help you make informed decisions. Call the team on 0800 300 643, or email us at solar@eeca.govt.nz Have feedback or ideas for future episodes? Email us at talkingdairy@dairynz.co.nz Connect with DairyNZ Stay up to date with advice, latest research, tools and resources. Read, browse, scroll, listen, or be there in person. Visit dairynz.co.nz/get-connected

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Power costs continue to rise, and a lot of farmers are asking the same question: could solar work on my farm?

In this episode, you’ll hear from Chris McArthur from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority’s (EECA) Solar on Farms programme and Rhys Mackenzie, a dairy farmer who’s making the move to solar on his farm. Together, they talk through what solar and batteries can realistically do on a dairy farm, where they add value, and what you need to think about before you invest.

You’ll get independent advice from Chris McArthur, alongside practical on-farm insight from Rhys Mackenzie as he shares what sparked the decision, what surprised him, and what he’d tell other farmers thinking about solar.

 

Find out more:

EECA Solar helpline for farmers

A dedicated solar helpline for farmers and growers, providing independent, practical guidance to help you make informed decisions. Call the team on 0800 300 643, or email us at solar@eeca.govt.nz 

Have feedback or ideas for future episodes? Email us at talkingdairy@dairynz.co.nz

Connect with DairyNZ

Stay up to date with advice, latest research, tools and resources. Read, browse, scroll, listen, or be there in person. Visit dairynz.co.nz/get-connected 



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