Two trailblazers in the world of electric vehicles and charging products are announcing a partnership to bring off-grid solar power charging to a California vineyard. Paired Power has been working with Monarch Tractor to charge it’s all-electric and driver-optional tractor at Kaerskov Vineyard (managed by Carr Winery) since July, but went public this week with reports that they are successfully reducing utility costs while also cutting CO2e emissions versus traditional diesel vehicles. “This is the first project to use an off-grid, solar-powered DCFC (Direct Current Fast Charger) to charge a swappable Monarch MK-V tractor battery for fleet operations, marking a significant step in promoting sustainable farming practices and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural sector,” according to a release about the partnership. Many farms lack electrical charging infrastructure, but Paired Power offers solar canopy electric vehicle charging stations, known as the “PairTree,” which they claim is more affordable than other currently available market solutions. “Pairing the all-electric MK-V with renewable charging infrastructure like Paired Power’s solar solutions brings us closer to a farming future that is powered by clean energy solutions,” said Praveen Penmetsa, co-founder and CEO of Monarch Tractor in a release. The installation of Paired Power’s chargers at Kaerskov Vineyard was made possible by Santa Barbara County’s Air Pollution Control District’s Clean Air Grant and CalCom Energy – a leading installer of solar energy solutions.
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