Poultry farming is a highly energy intensive business, with constant power needed to maintain the controlled environments of the cage facilities, and to a lesser extent, the free range facilities also. Lighting and electric motors are required to operate the heating and ventilation systems essential to the survival of the birds, making power costs a substancial overhead.

Based at Bendick Murrell near Young in NSW, LPC Trading is a poujtry business comprising a rearing farm, cage and free range egg production and feed milling sites, and houses close to 500,000 hens.

Its a family run business, with the three Langfield brothers – Brett, Simon and Justin – taking over management of the facility from their parents. Together they oversee the company’s four sites, which includes managing the birds’ care throughout their whole life cycle, supplying feed to customers in NSW and Victoria and running their own transport service for deliveries.

After noticing a 25% increase in LPC Trading’s power costs, and with predictions that this would continue rising, Brett began seeking out alternative energy options for his “power crucial” business.

Wanting to try solar but not willing to risk the capital of a solar installation with no guarantee of reward, Brett sought out a more flexible, long-term solution.

It was ultimately Solar Professional’s Power Purchase Agreement that sealed the deal.

With olar Professionals retained ownership of the solar system and responsibility for all ongoing maintenance, the risk of the installation disappeared for LPC Trading. They now buy back the power their system produces over an agreed contract term, allowing them to experience the improvements in savings and efficiency for the rearing farm firsthand.

“Everything else really became a non-issue with the PPA”, said Brett. “We were able to take the step into solar with no upfront costs, and no risk.

The flexibility provided by the PPA was also a huge plus to LPC Trading, who value having the option to buy out their solar system for an agreed upon value at any point throughout their contract.