Total Utilities recently assisted Forest Lodge in saving money, gaining real-time data visibility, and proving the orchard's 100 percent electricity claims to grant providers. All drive sustainable growth and set an example for food producers worldwide.
With the success of the orchard's ability to become fully electric, Director of Total Utilities, Mike Ette, shared that the challenge moving forward included cost and availability of electricity.
“New Zealand needs to invest a lot more in baseload generation that can supply when the sun is down, and significant expansion of the national and local grids is required,” said Ette.
Ette explained that Hydro and Geothermal have traditionally been the country’s answers, as wind farms are unreliable as an energy source as generation is sporadic. The Director stated that NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) was the prevailing attitude, as high-heat industrial processes are problematic and cannot be addressed through electrification.
“We have doubts that the economics behind hydrogen for most transport fuel applications will ever add up compared with electrification and batteries.”
Total Utilities are borne from energy procurements, with the business model revolving around the belief that the first step in sustainability derives from optimising consumption.
Ette shared that every unit of energy that is not being consumed daily or weekly, whether that is electricity, natural gas, or diesel, is a saving that is both good for the environment and the bottom line.
“We are data analysts, and we believe that the best decision-making is driven by and verified with data.”
As a Toitu-certified net zero company, Ette emphasises the importance of walking the talk before it advises its customers. Total Utilities has continued to search globally to bring new and innovative technologies and solutions to the market to improve its data collection, allowing the company to develop informed sustainability decisions.
The Director stated that the company’s goal for the future was to help as many New Zealand businesses and public sector organisations as possible on their sustainability journey.
With the success of Forest Lodge becoming fully electric, it has proven that commercial electrification is not only possible but applicable. It supports others within the sector to transition to make similar technological choices and boosts the market opportunity and confidence in electrification throughout the industry.
Furthermore, Ette shared that the positive brand impact has enabled Forest Lodge to differentiate and market its point of difference in sustainability versus its competitors, adding value to its products. Ette stated that Froest Lodge was the embodiment of going up in the value chain.
Global issues such as food miles from markets have placed New Zealand’s agricultural and horticultural heritage at threat moving forward. Forest Lodge’s innovation in this space has served as an example to the industry that commercial success and increased brand value can be simultaneous with improved sustainable practices.
Forest Lodge has not only become fully electric, but the brand has also monitored its usage to understand further what and where the benefits are, which, when understood and utilised, help companies gain financially and sustainably.
