Paired Power, a provider of solar-powered electric vehicle (EV) charging products, and Monarch Tractor, maker of the autonomous electric MK-V tractor, announced their partnership to power Kaerskov Vineyard in Solvang, Calif., with off-grid energy for its farming operations.

Monarch’s MK-V tractor at Kaerskov Vineyard has been operating since July using Paired Power solar energy EV chargers. Paired Power says this has enabled the vineyard to significantly reduce its utility cost and reliance on the fossil fuels that often power the grid.

According to Paired Power, the coupling of its solar chargers with Monarch’s MKV tractor is a green solution that reduces operational expenses for day-to-day farming practices while decreasing annual CO2e emissions by more than 54 metric tons versus traditional diesel vehicles. Farmers using an MK-V tractor in their daily operations are able to reduce the farm’s expense on fuel and service by over 60%, Paired Power says. In addition to charging Monarch’s tractor, Paired Power’s charging stations will also charge a swappable battery cart during the day, providing the tractor with a full recharge for night-time operation. 

“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," says Praveen Penmetsa, co-founder and CEO of Monarch Tractor. 

This is the first project to use an off-grid, solar-powered direct current fast charger (DCFC) to charge a swappable Monarch MK-V tractor battery for fleet operations, Paired Power says.

"Our high-powered solar charger was designed with fleet applications in mind, as we know that providing a convenient means to charge electric tractors will be essential in the adoption of electrified farming," says Tom McCalmont, co-founder and CEO of Paired Power. "Our charging solutions are scalable to ensure that we can continue to provide easy renewable charging as electric fleets expand.”

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, an installer of solar energy solutions.