Meridian’s Rural Strategist Chris Bristol says Meridian is keen to ensure farmers are kept informed and up to date about issues that are relevant to them.
“We are very pleased to confirm a number of experts who will address a range of topics including electricity generation, climate change, energy efficiency as well as farming wind. The sessions will be very informative and will include practical examples on how farmers can improve their energy and environmental practices,” she added.
The Central Districts Field Days, held in Fielding from 13-15 March, is New Zealand's largest regional rural event and is expected to attract around 500 exhibitors and more than 32,000 visitors over the three days.
James Capper, Project Delivery Manager for Right House – a subsidiary of Meridian, says the company can provide farmers with the information and expertise they need to explore electricity generation opportunities.
“Energy consumption is becoming an important issue for many farmers. While it doesn’t make up a huge part of their expenses, there is an opportunity for farmers to not only save money, but also to make money,” he says.
“In many cases, farms will be able to generate their own electricity using wind, solar and hydro resources.”
James Capper says this has two main benefits for farmers.
“Firstly, farmers will be able to guarantee their own security of supply, and secondly, they may actually be able to make money off their small-scale generation schemes by supplying other farmers or selling their electricity to the national grid,” he added.
Meridian Rural Account Manager Bill Hewitt will provide information to farmers about the measures they can take to consume energy more efficiently.
“Farmers can undertake a number of measures to work out how energy efficient their operation is. The first thing we can do is ensure they are on the best plan and see where we can save them money,” says Bill Hewitt.
“There are also tools that we can give them that allow them to compare their consumption with other farmers to gauge their energy performance. Once this is known we can work with them to maximize their energy efficiency,” he added.
The Meridian stand will be on Site E32 at the Central Districts Field Days. A series of 30-minute lectures will run from 11:00am on 13 and 14 March.
Meridian Information Session Schedule (Site E32)
Thursday 13th March
11:00am: Rural Electricity Generation
12:30pm: Electricity savings for Dairy Farmers
2:00pm: Carbon Neutrality
Friday 14th March
11:00am: Farming Wind
12:30pm: Electricity savings for Dairy Farmers
2:00pm: Electricity savings for Dairy Farms
For more information contact:
Claire Shaw
Meridian External Relations Advisor
021 370 677