Z4 ENERGY SYSTEMS, LLC 25 Dizzy Horse Road Buford, Wyoming 82052 U.S.A. (307)766-5044
Z4 solves problems for rural homes, farms, ranches and small business by developing useful, smart residential scale renewable energy products.
The Problem with pasture feeding livestock year-around is that water tanks freeze up in winter and a deicer is needed.
- Grid power may be unavailable or costly in remote pastures
- Deicing alternatives such as propane are impractical
- Thawing by overflowing well water wastes water
- Continuously pumping water creates ice and mud
- Chopping ice every day is time and labor intensive
- Abandoning remote pastures increases feed costs
- Feed lots create animal waste and health problems
The Solution is Z4's 100% solar powered stock tank deicer.
- Melts and maintains a 2' hole in the ice during the day
- Tested in -20º F. night and +6º F. day temperatures
- Relocate with a flatbed pickup for pasture rotations
- Use with any stock tank
- No maintenance or fuel required
-
Backup plan: plug in to a generator during snow and fog
- 30+ year lifetime
Status
Preliminary prototypes were tested for two winter seasons. A manufacture-ready prototype is being field tested during 2015/16 winter and will be ready to manufacture in 2016.
Z4 seeks a ranch equipment distributor who wants to add a relocatable, 100% solar powered stock tank deicer to their product line.
Please contact Georgia at z4webmail@gmail.com
Benefits
- Improves winter pasture management
- Water available when livestock usually drink
- Reduces year-around feed cost
- Eligible for renewable energy tax incentives and cost-sharing
- Reduces dependence on foreign energy
Acknowledgements
"This material is based upon work supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Agreement No. 2012-33610-19942 of the Small Business Innovation Research Grants Program"
Kevin Lule, Principal Investigator
Product: Solar Powered Livestock Watering Tank Deicer
