Rap boxes keep shearers moving

JONATHAN CAMERON/Manawatu Standard

SHEAR POWER: Powerco performance engineer Ken Pattie explains the control box that runs the power to this busy shearing shed, near Taihape.

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The North Island's remote rural farms, wool sheds and water pumps could soon be run by alternative energy due to the high cost of replacing old overhead power lines.

Energy firm Powerco, which provides power to 400,000 people in the lower and central North Island, estimates the cost of replacing the 50 to 60-year-old rural lines at $60,000 per kilometre.

The cost has made it "non economic" for Powerco to replace lines to remote areas with low power usages, so a system known as Remote Area Power Box (Rap Box) has been trialled.

The Rap boxes combine alternative energy, such as hydro, solar and wind power, with generators and batteries in order to power remote sites.

A 12-month trial at a wool shed in the foothills near Taihape has used roof-mounted solar panels, batteries, LPG and a diesel-powered generator to power the shed and two shearers' quarters.

The cost to Powerco of replacing lines to the shed would be $200,000. The Rap Box cost $60,000 to install, but could be cheaper in the future.

Powerco performance engineer Ken Pattie said line outages had previously caused major delays for the shearers, but there had been no power cuts since the Rap Box was installed.

A switch in the shed that allows the power to be changed to the main supply had never been used, he said.

"It's given them a reliable power service," Mr Pattie said. "When they come here for shearing they know that everything will be going OK."

The generator needs its diesel and oil replenished at regular intervals, but power costs had dropped by 40 per cent, he said.

"It's more economic and provides them with the service they need."

Mr Pattie said there were about 1000 to 1500 potential sites in the Powerco coverage area that could use a Rap Box.

Other power companies were likely to adopt similar systems nationwide, he said.

Senior Shepherd Daniel Hughes, who works at the Taihape station, said he was pleased with the system's reliability.

"The power doesn't cut out now because the old generator kicks in so we carry on and don't have to put the sheep back in the paddock."

Federated Farmers electricity spokesman Philip York said Powerco had been in contact with farmers to discuss alternative energy options.

"We think it's a great idea if they can come up with an alternative that's not at the expense of the farmers."

Overhead lines were often unreliable and underground lines were expensive to install, so many farmers had already started investigating alternative power sources, Mr York said.

Powerco corporate affairs manager Neil Holdom said two more trial locations were being investigated. The decision to look into cheaper power supplies in remote rural locations was prompted by a review of the Electricity Act, he said.

When power was deregulated in the 1990s, line companies were given until 2013 to supply non-economic rural customers, but were were under no obligation to supply them after this time.

"The reality is that we were always going to talk it over with our customers," Mr Holdom said.

In the review, the Ministry of Economic Development recommended to Parliament that power be supplied to all remote rural areas indefinitely.

- © Fairfax NZ News