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Farm Solar for dairy sheds, pumps and irrigation

A dairy shed uses most of its power in daylight – refrigeration, hot water, pumps, irrigation – which is exactly when the panels are working, so most of what you generate gets used on the farm instead of exported cheaply. We design, install and certify farm solar across Ngatea, Kerepehi and the wider Ngatea District. A registered electrician and EWRB-registered inspector handles the install and certification, with the required independent inspection arranged.

Request a site visit Call 021 244 5757
AS/NZS 3000 Agricultural Wiring Standards Section 7
Dairy Sheds Weekly Work
2x Reg. Inspector + Electrician
Ngatea Local to the region
solar array on a dairy shed near Ngatea Photo: solar array on a dairy shed near Ngatea

The four farm scenarios solar fits

Solar fits a farm differently depending on what's drawing the power. These are the four setups we see most around Ngatea.

Dairy shed solar

Refrigeration, hot water, vacuum pumps and shed lighting all draw through the day, right when the panels are generating. Most of it gets used at the shed instead of exported.

Irrigation pump solar

Stock-water and K-Line pumps run through daylight in the irrigation season. A right-sized array covers that draw, and bigger operations sometimes warrant a dedicated array by the pump shed.

Lifestyle-block solar

Smaller mixed blocks out towards the Karangahake foothills – farmhouse, workshop and calf shed on one connection. A hybrid system with a battery usually suits, storing the day's solar for evening shed work.

Farm-scale arrays for larger operations

Bigger operations sometimes warrant ground-mount or multi-shed roof arrays. We design and install at that scale too – same standards and certification, just more of it.

Farm solar isn't standard residential solar

Solar on a dairy shed has to meet a different set of standards than one on a suburban roof. The agricultural side of the wiring rules is the part a residential-only installer can miss.

  • AS/NZS 3000 – Wiring Rules

    The wiring rules every install has to meet, including Section 7, which covers agricultural and horticultural premises – the part that's specific to farm work.

  • AS/NZS 5033 – PV Array Installations

    The standard governing the PV array itself, covering array wiring, DC disconnection, earthing and string protection.

  • AS/NZS 4777.1 / 4777.2 – Grid Connection

    4777.1 governs the grid-connection installation. 4777.2 covers the inverter's own certification. Both apply to any grid-connected solar install.

  • AS/NZS 5139 – Battery Storage

    Applies where a battery is part of the design. Sets out installation requirements for energy-storage systems.

Three-phase inverter on a dairy shed solar install
The agricultural side is the kicker. AS/NZS 3000 Section 7 covers the realities of a farm – dust, moisture, washdown, stock and vehicle traffic. We do dairy shed wiring across the Ngatea district, so solar on the shed is an extension of that, not a learning curve.
Finance Available

Spread the cost of your upgrade

Ask us about Q Card. Get the job done now and pay it off over time.

  • Switchboards
  • Heat pumps
  • Solar
  • Ventilation
  • Larger projects

Banks also offer low-interest green loans for eligible energy efficiency upgrades, worth asking yours. Q Card is provided by a third party, lending criteria, fees and terms apply.

Ask About Finance

What to expect, in order

1

Free site visit and consultation

We walk the shed and the property, check the roof, mounting options, switchboard and the three-phase supply, and talk through your milking and irrigation pattern. Bring 12 months of power bills if you have them.

2

Custom system design

Panel layout, inverter sizing (three-phase where the shed warrants it), DC and AC cable runs, agricultural-grade enclosures, switchboard integration. Battery if a hybrid setup suits how you use power.

3

Installation around the milking schedule

Most install work happens outside milking hours. The final grid-connection switch typically needs a couple of hours of shed downtime. We schedule that between milkings, not through one.

4

Testing, certification and inspection

AS/NZS 5033, 4777 and AS/NZS 3000 Section 7 verification for the agricultural-premises side, with certification managed end to end so you have one point of contact.

5

Ongoing support

Monitoring, occasional service, additional panels or capacity when the farm grows. We're local. We come back.

Common questions about farm solar

Straight answers to what farmers ask before they book a visit. Anything not covered, just give us a call.

Is solar worth it on a dairy shed?
Usually, yes. A shed uses most of its power in daylight – refrigeration, hot water, pumps, irrigation – which is when the panels generate, so most of what you make gets used on site rather than exported cheaply. That's what makes the numbers work on a farm.
Can solar run the milking shed during the day?
Yes. Solar offsets daytime grid draw and the shed stays connected to the grid for backup, so there's no risk of losing power mid-milking. Pair with a battery if you also want storm-cut resilience for vat refrigeration and alarms after hours.
Will solar power my irrigation pumps?
Yes. Pumps run during daylight, which is when solar generates. Larger three-phase pumps have higher start-up current. We size the inverter to handle the in-rush and don't undersize. Dedicated pump-shed arrays are an option for larger systems.
Do I need a separate sparky for the agricultural compliance work?
No. The agricultural-premises wiring requirements are core to our farm work because we do dairy shed wiring every week, so one registered electrician handles the shed install, solar design and inverter setup, and coordinates the certification, so you are not left chasing it.
Can we add solar to an existing dairy shed without disrupting milking?
Yes. Most install work happens outside milking hours. The final grid-connection switch needs a couple of hours of shed downtime. We schedule for between milkings. No missed milkings.
What about effluent pump solar?
Effluent pumps usually run daily in daylight, a clean solar fit. We size the array to cover the pump's running load with margin and integrate the wiring at the existing pump switchboard. Often pairs naturally with broader dairy-shed solar on the same property.
Will my dairy company or processor have an opinion on solar?
Some processors run on-farm sustainability programmes that reward measurable emissions reductions. Worth checking with your processor before committing. We'll mention this at the quote stage so it's on your radar.
Can I claim the farm solar install as a deductible farm expense?
Talk to your accountant. Tax treatment depends on ownership, scale and structure. Solar systems are typically depreciable plant. IRD lists the relevant depreciation rates. Some lenders also offer green-finance products at lower rates for solar projects.
No Call-Out Fee

Ready to put solar on the shed?

We'll come to the farm, walk the sheds and the roofs, talk through how you actually use power, and follow up with a transparent quote. No obligation, and we'll be straight with you if solar doesn't stack up on your particular setup.

Request a Site Visit Call 021 244 5757
EWRB Registered Electrician + Inspector
20+ Years on the Tools
27 Towns Covered
20+ Five-Star Reviews