{"id":32190,"date":"2025-12-05T10:44:36","date_gmt":"2025-12-05T08:44:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/?p=32190"},"modified":"2026-03-05T17:17:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T15:17:15","slug":"dairy-over-the-moon-with-solar-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.victronenergy.com\/blog\/2025\/12\/05\/dairy-over-the-moon-with-solar-power\/","title":{"rendered":"Dairy over the moon with solar power"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week let’s hear from Franz Sohm<\/em> about a prestigious solar award for a traditional Austrian dairy:<\/p>\n

Surrounded by steep alpine pastures, the centuries-old dairy farm Der Mooshof is venturing into the future.
\nDer Mooshof is one of the largest farms in the Bregenzerwald region. Three generations of the Greber family work here full-time, with around 80 dairy cows, young cattle, goats, and pigs.
\nIn its ongoing efforts to optimize operations, Der Mooshof wanted to overcome the limitations of its rural power supply and avoid the sometimes serious consequences of power outages. It commissioned solar power installer Greenfuture GmbH<\/a> to plan and implement a system that would guarantee a reliable supply \u2013 and received a system that was awarded the Austrian Solar Prize in the Industry, Trade and Agriculture category in 2025.<\/p>\n

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Dairy farming is energy-intensive. Mooshof’s two robotic milking systems ensure the cows are milked consistently. It’s a process that cannot be interrupted without risking udder infections and potentially losing animals. Automatic feeding machinery prepares rations throughout the day. Milk must be cooled immediately; cheese production requires reliable heating, stirring, and refrigeration. There’s lighting, of course, and power requirement for the background IT infrastructure …not to mention several family homes which add to the load.

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Until recently, the Mooshof relied on a 50 kWp PV system and grid power, which is limited to 80 kW input\/output power at this location.
\nSince power outages can cause enormous costs, the Greber family had to regularly operate an emergency power generator \u2013 even short interruptions endanger animals and livelihoods alike.<\/p>\n

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<\/div><\/a> Tobias Sohm, Installer<\/p><\/div>\n

Greenfuture expanded the existing solar system from 50 kWp to 180 kWp and used roofs and facades to achieve maximum yields even in winter.
\nA comprehensive modernization of the storage capacities now delivers 500 kWh from a lithium battery bank with 100 Pytes V5 modules \u2013 enough to supply the farm autonomously for up to three days, even in unfavorable weather conditions.
\nTo circumvent strict grid limits, the Victron system ensures intelligent peak load coverage and an uninterruptible power supply that automatically takes over in less than 20 milliseconds \u2013 fully compatible with existing Fronius, Kostal, and Huawei inverters. The base load is around 15 kW, but can rise to up to 70 kW for seasonal work. On such days, electricity consumption rises to up to 1,000 kWh within 24 hours.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThanks to a charging capacity of more than 150 kVA, even short periods of sunshine are enough to fully charge the batteries,\u201d explains Tobias Sohm.
\nThe Mooshof has two interconnected solar power systems connected by three MultiPlus inverters\/chargers, so that energy surpluses and deficits can be balanced between the two systems. This is a decisive step towards total autonomy, which already covers more than 90% of the electricity demand today.
\nThe resulting energy cost savings of \u20ac30,000 per year will fully amortize the initial investment costs in just a few years.
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The larger system comprises:<\/p>\n