At the start of the millennium, roughly 900 dairy farms operated in the northern district area of Campaspe Shire in Victoria’s north. Unfortunately that number has now dwindled to just 40, as tough economic pressures and water scarcity have forced many multi-generational dairy farmers to close.
The Gordon family is one of the few that has managed to weather the storms.
Ross Gordon, along with his sons Drew and Glen, have been running their family’s dairy farm in Cohuna since 1995. Despite challenging times, they have not only kept the farm afloat but also expanded it – growing their herd from 200 to 750 cows and diversifying into crop farming.
Knowing that long-term success requires foresight and innovation, the Gordons recently decided to invest in modern farming methods to ensure the farm’s future.
The problem
The first step in their plan was to build a state-of-the-art mega dairy shed that would improve milk production and water efficiency.
The Gordons were also determined to incorporate energy-efficiency solutions to address one of the farm’s biggest challenges: soaring electricity costs.
“Electricity is one of our biggest costs. All the water we get is through irrigation, so we have to keep those pumps going 24/7. Then milk needs to be stored at 4°C, so we’re spending a lot on refrigeration.
“We’ve also now got banks, supermarkets and customers all wanting to know what our carbon footprint is. Bringing this down and doing our bit to get to Net Zero became more important.”
– Ross Gordon, Gordon Farms
Project snapshot
Industry: Dairy farming
Channel Partner: Solar Australia & Eagle Direct
Equipment:
- 34x 55″ ECVCS FAN ASSEMBLY, 1.5HP, 230/400V, IE3, DEFLECTOR KIT
- 31x 72″ ECVCS FAN ASSEMBLY, 3HP, 230/400V, IE3, DEFLECTOR KIT,
- TURBO CONE
- 46 x VFD, i550 Protec, NEMA 4X, 1.5 HP, 400-480V ,
- 31 x VFD, i550 Protec, NEMA 4X, 3 HP, 400-480V
- 12 x 55″ Fans and 88 x High Bay LED
- 200 Trina Solar Panels
- 1x SMA Inverter
Payment Plan term: 120 months
The solution
The Gordons partnered with solar experts Solar Australia and farm-design specialists Eagle Direct to plan a system that would integrate various energy-efficiency technologies for a cost-effective solution.
After months of technical assessments, the teams proposed a comprehensive approach: a 102kW solar array, a HVAC system with over 75 industrial fans, and LED lighting throughout the shed. Together, these technologies would reduce energy costs and create a more comfortable environment for the cows – a key factor in improving milk production.
“Our specialty is in building what I call ‘cow hotels,’ where the cows have a full buffet, a comfortable bed, a cooling system and a flushing toilet. And we do all that because cows respond well to it. They love it!
“It’s all about maximum cow comfort – the more comfortable the cow is, the more milk they produce.”
– Mike Ryan, Eagle Direct
A cow’s thermal neutral zone is between 4°C and 18°C. Above this range, cows experience heat stress, which leads to reduced milk production that can take months to recover. Installing industrial fans throughout the shed was a crucial part of the design in order to maintain this ideal temperature. Meanwhile, powering the fans with solar energy would make the cost of running them feasible.
With the technical aspects sorted, the only hurdle left was to finance the project.
Solar Australia’s Tim Dixon reached out to Smart Ease to arrange a flexible payment plan that could cover the multiple equipment types being installed by two different providers.
“We try our best to not just be installers but to be energy partners. Rather than throwing a couple of panels on the roof and calling it a day, we get to know the customer’s needs and work with them to come up with the best solution.
In this case, we knew the upfront cost of the project would make it impossible. So I got in touch with Smart Ease to organise a Payment Plan. It’s not easy to finance a project like this with multiple players involved, but the Smart Ease team got it done.”
– Tim Dixon, Solar Australia
The win
Since moving the cows into the new climate-controlled shed, milk production on Gordon Farms has increased by 30%. Additionally, the expansion has allowed the Gordons to dedicate more land to crop farming, incorporating both summer and winter crops into the mix and further diversifying his business.
The solar system now generates 173MW annually, covering roughly 50% of the farm’s electricity consumption and saving an estimated $33,000 on electricity bills each year.
“It’s made a huge difference. We’ve gone from producing 18,000 litres to 28,000 litres of milk and have been able to add an extra 50 cows – it really helps to pay the bills!
It’s nice knowing that what we’ve planned is actually working, and the solar and fans are a big part of that. Plus, having the loans locked in for fixed terms has been great and takes away a lot of the worry about future costs.”
– Ross Gordon
Start a conversation with Smart Ease and find out how our Payment Plans can help you generate solar savings