Gridtractor, Monarch Tractor and Valley Clean Energy Awarded $2.5/$27 Million California Energy Commission REDWDS Grant
Electrifying
Agriculture
Gridtractor helps farmers take control of their energy.
How It Works
Wattson Ranch is an electrified Ag operation. It generates power to supply its needs and sell to the grid, schedules irrigation to minimize energy costs and uses zero emissions electric tractors to slash fuel bills, power pumps that have to run on peak, and store energy to sell to the grid at peak prices.
What We Do
Gridtractor is solving the puzzle of farm vehicle electrification. Working with farmers, OEMs, utilities, and regulators we will make sure that Ag does not get left behind in the transition.
Plan
Gridtractor automatically acquires and analyzes farm electrical infrastructure, rate, tariff, market and usage information and surveys equipment types and operations. The resulting plan quantifies the benefits of electrification including available incentives, cost savings, and energy market opportunities to help growers decide when and where to electrify Ag equipment. The Plan includes a web-based software tool called a Gridtractor Planning Model (GPM) that enables you to test different assumptions like incentives, run times of pumps and tractors, capital costs, etc. The model is live and will be updated periodically in accordance with general market assumptions.
Charge
Turnkey project development, incentive management, installation, and integration with existing electrical service points. Deployments include the GTAC (Gridtractor Automation Controller), proven IoT technology for monitoring and controlling heavy-duty electrical systems, and communications over standard protocols with any vendor's devices. Designed for remote, rugged Ag environments the GTAC makes the most of limited bandwidth and continues to execute scheduled operations and log data when connectivity is interrupted. GTAC can work with commercially-available charging stations and specialized irrigation pump panel-integrated switchgear.
Operate
The Gridtractor web and mobile apps for growers include intuitive tools for scheduling Ag equipment operations to minimize energy costs and maximize revenue from the grid while keeping crop quality and yield paramount.
Manage and Support
The GTOC (Gridtractor Operations Center) monitors and manages real-time operations and links Ag equipment fleets, charging stations, and irrigation pumps to energy markets. Systems are monitored 24/7 and problems are identified automatically, generating service tickets for engineers and site technicians.
Finance
Electrification enables farmers to not only save money but to take control of their energy. To minimize up-front costs, Gridtractor will own and operate charging infrastructure on an as-a-service basis. To maximize ROI, farmers deploy their capital while Gridtractor operates and maintains charging systems for farmers' benefit.
Who We Help
Gridtractor is connecting stakeholders and providing the necessary fleet electrification products for Ag to break the chicken-and-egg cycles that must be overcome to achieve rapid growth and realize its tremendous potential
OEMs
Develop and position products to realize the full potential of Ag electrification.
Utilities
Unlock large segments of electrification potential while leveraging
existing infrastructure.
Farmers
Lower costs, generate revenue, grow sustainably with expert guidance and support.
Regulators
Develop policy that is inclusive of rural communities to achieve policy goals more rapidly and equitably.
Benefits
Ag fleet electrification is a win-win-win. Gridtractor's technology, data and unrivalled experience in agricultural energy can unlock this value for all stakeholders.
For Farmers
Profits - switch from diesel to electric and save 75% and more of fuel costs and offset peak pumping charges with power stored in tractors’ batteries.
Control - Generate your own solar power or buy from the grid and turn energy costs into profits using tractors’ batteries during downtime.
For the Grid
Flexible, mobile storage - Tap into equipment downtime to offset large agricultural loads and provide V2G services.
Charging Infrastructure - Leapfrog lengthy service upgrade requirements of other EV clases using existing on-farm electrical service points.
For the World
Sustainability - Grow food with 40 times less carbon than diesel equipment or totally eliminate carbon and reduce the need for grid infrastructure by using plentiful solar and wind power generated locally.
Health - Eliminate pollutants from some of the dirtiest emitters in some of the places with the greatest air quality problems.
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