Note: The Tauranga Club is not too far away from completing their repairs. Will keep everyone updated as information come forth.
Visitors: Browyn Carter, Jake Ighle
President – Lynda Burch
Today is St. Patrick's Day and we were reliably informed and St. Patrick was born on the West Coast of Wales. Also Les has returned from Hawaii and presented the club with the rotary banner
Rotary Anniversary: Kevin Atkinson 25 years in rotary
Guest Speaker
Henry introduced Jake from Loadstone Solar Energy. Jake is a fellow Marine in the US army. Prior to Loadstone, Jacob had 10 years at Shell in the oil and gas sector and utilities. Joke informed us that since solar started in the world, it used to cost $200 per watt. This has now come down to 20 cents per watt!
Lodestone Energy have five sites across New Zealand, with the first being built now in Kaitai, and will have 60,000 panels. This will be built over the next six to eight months. At the end of life the power station can now be decommissioned in the future if ever required. The panels will be able to be recycled as well. With the next builds being in Edgecumbe, Whitianga and Dargaville.
Each site will be between 80 and 120 Ha, producing 32 megawatts of power
Because of the way that the power station is built on 2m high poles, animals can graze underneath the solar panels giving a dual purpose to the power station. The best animals or livestock for solar are sheep because they don't damage the panel. Cows rub against the poles and goats jump up onto the solar panels, so there no good! Once the power stations built, they'll sell their electricity into the wholesale market. Initially they've contracted with Pulse Energy
Lastly Jacob mentioned that the panels are built north to south, with screening planted around the solar farm so more aesthetically pleasing. Panel have a life span of up to 35 years, as the panels degrade at a rate of point 0.20-0.50% per year. The majority of solar panels are made in China. As the increase in the number of solar power stations are built across the New Zealand, there will need to be big upgrades to the transmission grid through Transpower.
Rhonda thanked Jacob for his presentation
Announcements:
Dave Robinson - RYPEN
RYPEN was on last weekend and everyone was welcome to come out and help on the Saturday. Also help was required providing transport Friday and return trip on Sunday.
Shiv announced on Saturday that there will be the turn of multicultural day.
Buddy M – Anzac Day
Buddy put a call out for the ANZAC dawn service parade will need volunteers to help with parking.
Breakfast provided
Kathy Webb – Treasurer Art
The final date to submit art has been finalized for on the 31st of March. We still need more preloved treasured art. Auction date scheduled for the 19th of May.
Mary O’Sullivan - updated that Graham Corns has had his knee replacement and this has gone well
Sergeant Session – Chris Diver
Chris started his rotary session talking about what a shocking week he had had and told us a story in New Year's Day 1984 how he was pulled up by the police and charged with careless driving of a motor vehicle.
He also reliably informed us on St. Patrick's Day today that St. Patrick was imprisoned in Ireland. When he got back Ireland he became a priest to convert the parishioners to religion.
He then told an Irish joke to finish which I then promptly forgot the punch line whilst laughing!
Parting thought: Ron Fyfe
Good decisions come from experience. Bad decisions come from e
(Maungatautari Bank) that is known to have survived. It is now displayed in the Cambridge Museum.