Mirboo North
Community Energy Hub
Community Innovation
What Should My Target Look Like?
Every community has someone who is leading the way. The same holds true for our community in Mirboo North and district. There are several organizations that are pioneering the energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors. These organizations have demonstrated a comprehensive understanding and awareness of their energy usage. The individuals in these organizations are passionate about responsible energy consumption and have taken steps towards reducing and producing. They reduce their energy draw from the grid and they produce their own power. These are local organizations that are here to show you what is possible and how to get there.
Grand Ridge Brewery
The Grand Ridge Brewery in Mirboo North has always been an icon for our community for its house brews, tasty food, and social events. It has since added a new reason for us to view it as an icon. It is now a community leader in small business usage of renewable energy technology. The brewery has installed solar panels on its roof that produce between 85-90% of its total energy consumption.
Wightman's Organic Dairy Farm
Scott and Suzanne Wightman's Organic Dairy Farm highlights many practices that you can adopt to both reduce and produce. They reduce harmful chemicals in the environment by promoting soil health in place of using pesticides and herbicides. They also reduce their waste output by means of an effluent pond. Biological matter in the pond breaks down the farm's waste into the water which is then used to irrigate the paddocks. They produce their own energy to heat their water via solar panels. In addition, they have looked into establishing a two-way thermal process that would simultaneously heat their water and cool their milk. Whether you're an organic farmer or not, the Wightman's showcase energy and money saving tactics that you can employ!
Rose and Fuchsia Farm
Bernie and Carol Rowley have implemented clever energy efficiency practices as well as renewable energy technology. Their house sports solar panels that produce enough electricity to give them a paycheck in place of a bill. The buildings on the farm have white roofs to reflect sunlight and lower the temperature inside the buildings to reduce the need for air conditioning. The irrigation system is set on a drip into each plant to eliminate waste water. These are simple things that you can do to not only reduce your energy usage, but also to make extra money!
Ellinbank Dairy Research
The Ellinbank Dairy Research Institute is performing groundbreaking research into optimizing dairy cow production. By simply changing the feedstock for your cattle, you can decrease methane output into the atmosphere and increase the milk production, thus, increasing your income!
1301 Hazeldean Rd
RMB 2460, Ellinbank VIC 3820
Phone: (03) 5624 2222