Case studies

The decision Christchurch Men's Prison made to use solar water heating in its laundry will help save over $7,000 per year on their hot water bill, with a payback of 7.6 years. With 21 solar panels covering 97m2 the prison has one of the largest solar water heating systems in New Zealand.

Dairy farmers and technical experts share their experiences across four demonstration projects using a variety of solar water heating and waste heat recovery systems to reduce energy costs in the dairy shed.

Small wind turbines can generate electricity for use on the farm, business and home. Wind turbines can co-exist easily with other farming practices, and have been used for decades on European farms. There is a wide range of turbines suitable for use in New Zealand, ranging from micro-scale to larger commercial-scale systems. This guide to wind power schemes is aimed at a farming audience, and includes practical examples.

At Kopua Holiday Park in Raglan they can't always guarantee that the surf is up, but they can offer the sun on tap. That's because they've installed a large scale solar water heating system on their main kitchen and ablution block that delivers plenty of hot water when it's needed.