| 41.6kW Solar Array | 67.3% Bill Reduction | $214,908 Lifetime Savings (25 years) | 6 Tonnes Co2 Saved Per Year |
Project Overview
Sustainability has long been at the heart of both John Burton Limited and Dilmah NZ. Sharing a facility in Mount Wellington, the two businesses are united by a commitment to high quality products, responsible sourcing, and continuous improvement in environmental performance. Seeking to reduce Scope 2 emissions and build a more sustainable operation, they turned to renewable energy as a practical next step. The battery ready solar installation delivers immediate reductions in grid electricity consumption while creating a future ready platform that can evolve alongside the companies’ long term sustainability strategy.
Future Energy installed a 41.6kW solar array paired with a battery ready SolaX inverter, projected to cut the site’s annual electricity bill from around $12,290 to roughly $4,020, a 67.3% reduction, with lifetime savings estimated at $214,908 over the system’s 25 year life.
Objectives
As part of its ongoing sustainability strategy, the business sought a practical and scalable solution to begin reducing its carbon footprint and lower emissions across Scope 1 and Scope 2 activities. The objective was not only to generate clean, renewable energy and reduce reliance on grid electricity, but also to invest in a system capable of supporting future sustainability initiatives as the organisation grows. This required a flexible, future ready solution that could deliver immediate environmental benefits while providing the ability to integrate additional technologies over time, including battery storage, EV charging infrastructure and expanded solar capacity. The chosen approach needed to balance current operational requirements with the company’s long-term commitment to sustainability and decarbonisation.
The System
Solar Array – 64 Longi Panels at 41.6kW
The system uses 64 x Longi LR7 72HVH 650M solar panels for a combined array output of 41.6kW. The panels carry a 15 year product warranty, with performance guaranteed to 88.9%, plus a 30 year linear performance warranty, giving John Burton and Dilmah Tea long term certainty over the system’s output.
SolaX X3 ULT 30K Battery Ready Inverter
A SolaX X3 ULT 30K inverter, rated at 30kW total AC continuous power, converts the array’s DC output for use across the site and export to the grid. As a battery ready hybrid inverter, it’s built to support battery storage as a future addition, so the company can expand the system later without replacing the inverter already installed. It carries a 10 year product warranty.
No Battery Storage Installed Yet
This installation is solar only for now, with no battery storage included at this stage. With 41.9% of the site’s total energy use already solar powered, the battery ready inverter means John Burton and Dilmah Tea can add storage down the track to capture even more of the solar generated on site, without any additional inverter cost.
The Results
- 41.6kW solar array installed across 64 panels, supplying a shared facility for both brands
- Annual electricity bill projected to fall from around $12,290 to roughly $4,020, a 67.3% reduction
- Lifetime savings estimated at $214,908 across the system’s 25 year life
- 41.9% of the site’s total energy use now solar powered
- 6 tonnes of CO2 e avoided annually, equivalent to 32.2 fewer fossil fuel cars driven a year
- A battery ready inverter, giving a clear upgrade path to add storage in future without replacing existing hardware
Organic products, and now, organic power.
Real World Results
To see the new system in action, John Burton and Dilmah Tea tracked grid electricity use on every Tuesday in July, comparing three Tuesdays before the solar system went live against the first Tuesday after switch on.
| –47% Grid Use vs Average | -43% Daily Cost vs Average | 103.86kWh Grid Use, Coldest Day | 9am-3pm 100% Solar Powered |
- Tue 7 Jul (12°C): 205.23kWh grid electricity, $48.00, before solar
- Tue 14 Jul (13°C): 177.00kWh grid electricity, $41.25, before solar
- Tue 21 Jul (11°C): 209.47kWh grid electricity, $48.91, before solar
- 3 Tuesday average: 197.23kWh and $46.05 a day, the pre solar baseline
- Tue 28 Jul (8°C, the coldest Tuesday of the month): 103.86kWh grid electricity, $26.24, the first Tuesday with solar connected
Grid electricity use on 28 July came in 93.37kWh, or 47%, below the 3 Tuesday average, while the day’s cost fell $19.81, or 43%, below the average Tuesday. That result came on the coldest Tuesday of the month, when electricity demand would normally be higher, not lower. Between 9am and 3pm that day, the site ran on 100% solar power.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does battery ready mean for a commercial solar installation?
A battery ready system, like the one installed for John Burton and Dilmah Tea, uses a hybrid inverter capable of supporting battery storage as a future addition. It means the business gets the full benefit of solar now, with the option to add battery storage later without replacing the inverter already installed.
How much can a commercial site save by going solar in NZ?
Based on this Mount Wellington installation, a 41.6kW system cut the site’s annual power bill by 67.3%, from around $12,290 to roughly $4,020, with lifetime savings estimated at $214,908 over 25 years. Actual savings depend on a site’s consumption pattern, tariff structure and available roof space.
What warranties come with this commercial solar installation?
This installation includes a 15 year product warranty on the Longi solar panels, with performance guaranteed to 88.9%, plus a 30 year linear performance warranty, and a 10 year product warranty on the SolaX inverter.
Running a business focus on a sustainable future? Future Energy designs battery ready commercial solar NZ systems that extend your sustainability commitment to your own power supply, sized to your site’s real consumption. Get in touch for a free feasibility assessment.
