Compass harvests solar to power farm
Compass Trainee Luke Young , Farm Manager Andrew Diggines and trainee Jesse Price flick the switch on solar at Compass Farm.
Compass Farm is a 20-acre property nestled in the hills of Hunchy. Established in 2011, the Farm is a place where people living with physical and/or intellectual disabilities can learn, gain diverse work experience and enjoy genuine vocational opportunities.
For 10 years, Compass Farm has been optimistic about securing a grant to put Solar Panels on the roof to help reduce their carbon footprint, do their bit for the environment and save on bills so that more funds can be used in support of their programs.
This year, thanks again to the generosity of the Sunshine Coast Council’s Major Grant Program and co-funded by Compass, the Farm is now the proud owner of an 18KW Solar System valued at over $32,000. The installation of the system from Halcol Energy was on the roof within days of receiving the good news from Council, as the staff and Trainees were eager to get started on saving energy and harvesting the power from the sun.
Compass Farm Manager, Andrew “Digger” Diggines, who has been the Farm Manager for 10 years, is delighted that this project has now been completed.
“The fact the Council is prepared to direct funding towards sustainable projects that help with long term goals for the well-being of the environment is inspiring and encouraging,” said Andrew.
“We talk to the Trainees constantly about being aware of their environment and all the things that we can do on a daily basis to make sure we are heading towards a sustainable future. With the savings we make now from our energy bills, this also means we can redivert these funds back into the Farm and to supporting more Trainees, which is what we’re here to do!”
The next project on the list for Compass Farm is a commercial grade mulcher and tractor so that they can assist surrounding Hunchy properties, as well as Compass Farm itself, to mulch and reuse their green-waste instead of burning it off as they have had to do in the past.
Compass Farm is part of The Compass Institute’s family of campuses. For more information on The Compass Institute visit www.compassinc.org.au