One of the top 10 feedlots in Queensland’s giant cattle industry, the Lemontree feedlot is a beef and dairy feeding facility situated on a wide plain 200km west of Brisbane.
McNamee wanted to reduce its costs to make its business more successful. The large solar system installed by Planet Ark Power has ensured lower power bills and increased energy certainty.
McNamee’s goal was simply to reduce grid energy demand. As electricity is the largest operating cost after wages, it will mean the savings translate into lower prices for its products making their business more successful.
Because of the way the livestock industry works, Lemontree has large peak energy use early in the morning and another peak late in the afternoon. The business also has a large and consistent 24-hour baseload.
The Planet Ark Power solution needs to meet the energy needs of the business, reduce energy costs and have a large scale suitable for operation in a tough agri environment.
The Lemontree Feedlot solar system was Planet Ark Power’s first large system in the agricultural sector consisting of 960 solar panels.
Planet Ark Power ensured the project was completed with a no upfront payment lease whereby the savings on energy costs from the system less the lease payments is cashflow positive from day one. McNamee will acquire ownership of the system after seven years of the lease term, then once owned and the lease ends have another 15 to 20 years of essentially free energy.
McNamee’s goal was simply to reduce grid energy demand. The end result is lower energy cost through clean energy. The result is McNamee gets electricity price and supply security for the next 20 to 25 years, and lower the risk of large energy price increases that the rest of the market receives.
As electricity is largest operating cost after wages, it will mean the savings translating into lower priced end product making their business more successful.
Tom McVerry, National Business Development Manager, Planet Ark Power