The farmer
Vern Brasell is a third-generation dairy farmer and director of Kaiwaiwai Dairies, a 370-hectare, 930-cow farm in the Wairarapa. With a long-standing interest in climate change and environmental adaptation, Vern has always been motivated to look for practical ways to future-proof the farm.
The challenge
Like most farmers, rising power costs were a constant concern. At the same time, Vern could see that global markets were beginning to place increasing importance on low-emissions production. Kaiwaiwai irrigates over 120ha on-farm plus a 40ha run-off to grow grass for the cows to harvest directly – a practice that's designed to reduce the need for transportation that contributes to an annual $50,000 diesel and petrol bill. Solar had always been on the "to-do" list but the upfront cost was a barrier.
"New Zealand has one of the world's greenest electricity grids but with the increased demand for electricity we need to keep gas and coal fire power to a minimum," he says.
The solution
In 2020, with support from ASB the farm invested $110,000 in solar panels to reduce energy costs, cut emissions, and strengthen the farm's resilience long term.
The impact
The results have been immediate and measurable:
• Solar now covers 80–90% of the farm's 50 kW daily baseload, which includes irrigators, effluent pumps, milk chilling, water heating and the dairy shed.
• Estimated annual savings of $17,000.
• Payback period of just five years.
• Panels have a 25-year life expectancy with around 80% output at the end of that time.
"With solar, we're getting an 18–19% return on capital — and there's nothing else we do that delivers that every year," says Vern.
The role of ASB
Through ASB's sustainability lending, farmers like Vern can make environmentally positive upgrades more affordable. With the ASB Smart Solar Loan offering zero interest for five years on up to $150,000 for solar and battery systems, more farms now have a pathway to self-generate their energy and cut emissions.
The outlook
Vern is already looking at expanding solar further and exploring how power could be shared across the farm's five dwellings. As both a DairyNZ Climate Change Ambassador and member of Sustainable Wairarapa, he sees solar as one of the simplest, smartest ways to accelerate the shift to sustainable dairying.
"At the end of the day, if you're displacing a cost, it's a pretty simple decision," he says.
