CASE STUDIES

McNamee Lemontree Beef Feedlot

McNamee Partners is a family-owned agribusiness founded in 1995. In order to reduce their electricity bills, its second largest operating cost, in 2017 McNamee Partners engaged Planet Ark Power to install a 259 kW solar system at their beef feedlot and modern large-scale dairy farm at Lemontree, near Toowoomba in Queensland.

Challenge

There was a very strong case for rooftop solar with 24-hour operations, peak demand during daylight and a number of potential farm buildings to house solar panels. However, McNamee Partners management was concerned about financing a large-scale investment, the sizing of the system and potential payback.

As the system would be installed on multiple buildings and sheds that varied in size and construction, the optimum solar system had to be designed carefully and installed by an experienced team.

Solution

Planet Ark Power’s expert engineers designed the best solution to reduce the farm’s dependence on grid-supplied electricity with a 259 kW system. The system was tailored to suit daily energy consumption patterns, optimize the layout and roof orientation of the buildings and overcome electricity network grid connection requirements.

Providing flexible financing options, Planet Ark Power ensured the installation was completed with a no upfront payment operating lease. This meant the system was cash flow positive from the outset and could immediately reap the benefits of clean energy.

Results

Completed in 2017, the owner opted for an operating lease. A finance package was structured such that monthly payments were offset by the energy cost savings, and the system was cash positive from day one. The solar system met its objectives of reduced energy costs, lower greenhouse gas emissions with a return on investment of 17%.

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