National Grid provides incentives to expand solar use at northern NY farm

Sunrise at Fults Farms means more than waking up and milking their 100 cows. It means the sun’s rays have arrived to power the farm for the day.

The family-owned dairy farm in Evans Mills recently installed 30 solar photovoltaic cells to provide up to 12kW of additional renewable energy to its farm operations. The initiative benefitted from a US$10,000 Agribusiness Productivity program rebate from National Grid, as well as incentives available through NYSERDA.

Owner Joe Fults says the latest expansion would not have been possible if not for National Grid’s economic development programs.

“Without the incentives from National Grid, we would not have gone through with it,” Fults said. “Securing that funding allowed us to proceed with each phase of solar that we have implemented.”

The latest installation brings the number of solar cells at Fults Farm to 186, which generate 42kW and provide up to 85% of the farm’s electricity needs. The solar panels help supply heat for the barns and farmhouse, and power the barn’s equipment, including livestock feeders and management systems, and manure management systems. The farm’s previous solar initiatives also benefitted from the company’s rebate program.

“Agriculture is a backbone of the northern New York economy,” commented Alberto Bianchetti, National Grid’s Regional Director of Customer & Community Engagement. “Fults Farms’ investment in solar energy weighs up-front costs against the long-term benefits of generating their own renewable energy, which is one of many reasons why National Grid supports projects such as these.”

National Grid, through its Agribusiness Productivity program, provides incentives to fund energy efficiency, renewable energy delivery and/or productivity improvements undertaken by dairy businesses, commercial farms and controlled environment agricultural facilities located within the company’s service territory.

Since 2003, National Grid’s 18 economic development programs have provided more than US$125 million in assistance, helping to create or retain more than 60,000 jobs and supporting almost US$10 billion in private and public investment across upstate New York.