CHRISTEL YARDLEY/Stuff
The Laminex NZ factory in Pukete, Hamilton, was kitted out with a solar energy system in 2020.
A solar power system has displaced more than 230 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions since it was commissioned at a Hamilton factory just three months ago.
The 2724 square metre solar panel system, consisting of 1362 solar panels, was installed on the Laminex NZ factory roof by Vector PowerSmart in 2020, a joint project with the factory’s landlord, Udy Investments.
The installation was completed in September and the solar panels began harnessing the sun’s power for the factory in October.
Figures provided by Laminex NZ, a subsidiary of Fletcher, showed the solar panels provided 61 megawatts of power during November, the factory’s final month of full production for the year.
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The factory used 120mWh of grid-supplied power but managed to return 12mWh of power to the grid.
The 61mWh from the panels during November was enough to power about seven average homes. Over the course of a year, it would produce enough to run the equivalent of 90 average homes.
Power use at the factory decreased during December and January for annual maintenance, but the solar panels produced 55 and 54mWh respectively and power from the grid was 91 and 80mWh.
The panels were able to return more power to the grid during these months, 26 and 29mWh for each.
The company said over the three months there had been a 29 per cent reduction in power use from the grid.
Laminex Plant Manager David Miles said the new solar panels had been a talking point for staff and visitors.
A dashboard terminal in the factory’s lunchroom provided realtime information gathered from the solar panel system.
“It’s instant data being gathered to show how much power the solar panels are generating, how much is being sent back to the grid and also how much carbon dioxide emissions we are avoiding for the month so far.
“And you can compare the data with the previous month.”
Miles expected the solar panels to mirror November’s high performance, when production increased in February and March.
“It’s going to be even better than the November figure simply because there’ll be more production days.”
The Laminex factory operates 24/7, with 54 staff, manufacturing surfaces used for kitchens and other interior design projects.
In 2013, the factory installed LED lights in its warehouses to cut down on electricity use, as well as light and movement senses, to reduce power.
That initiative alone has saved 20 per cent on the factory’s power bill.
Sky lights were retro-fitted into all of the factory’s warehouses.
The factory also switched over to electric forklifts and is now putting meters on all of its major appliances, to measure how much power each unit is using.
Vector Powersmart General Manager Rogier Simons said it was exciting to see commercial operations like the Hamilton plant, powered by solar.
“It shows the potential for solar to help New Zealand decarbonise, it helps organisations meet their sustainability goals, and it’s set to grow significantly.”
Udy Group Director Dan Udy said the group was pleased to see a tenant benefit from sustainable energy to run their business and “to do our bit to help New Zealand’s decarbonisation efforts”.
