YOU can't miss the solar panels on top of Russell White's dairy.

The two 10m-wide sun-catchers sit above his herringbone shed on specially constructed frames.

    AT A GLANCE
  • Who: Russell White
  • What: solar dairy
  • Why: cheaper power
  • Where: Cooriemungle
  • Report: SIMONE SMITH

The frames had to be custom made so the panels could face the north and catch as much sun as possible.

However, moments of sunshine can often be few and far between during the winter months at Cooriemungle, in the heart of the Western District's Heytesbury Settlement.

But this hasn't affected how the water for Russell's dairy gets heated.

"Even on a day like today (in winter), probably it would get to 30-35C," Russell explained.

"In summer time, a normal summer's day, it would be 70-80C.

"A hot summer's day, 100-110C."

Russell and his wife Linda decided to install the solar system in 2005, a year after they built their new dairy.

Lured in by the solar rebate, the couple said the move was ideally about saving money on their electricity.

Years later, Russell hasn't calculated the savings, "with power going up the way it has", however, he guesses that with the hot-water service not running as long, there would "have to be savings".

The 1000-litre system works by pre-heating the water used for the original dairy hot-water system.

Russell said water travelled from one tank to another before it was pushed out into the dairy.

"When the cold water comes through it is pumped through the coils, it heats up and then is dumped into the other tank," he said.

"(Tonight) when night rate clicks over ... instead of dropping water into the other hot water service at, say, 10C, it will be dropping it in at 35C."

The solar water heating system and the panels haven't required upkeep.

The Whites milk 190 Jerseys, Holsteins, Brown Swiss and a few crosses.

Herd production averages one million litres a year, with 4.6 per cent butterfat and 3.6 per cent protein.

Looking across the farm, tree belts line the paddocks and laneways, providing essential shelter for the blustery southwest weather systems.

"The other night when it was really rough the cows were in a protected paddock," Russell said.

"They (were out) there grazing, when all the others (had) their bums into the wind."

"Then the vat just doesn't drop like it used to before the tree belts."

Up to 8ha of the Whites' 129ha property has been fenced and covered with trees.

The move to increase the number of trees started about 26 years ago, when they were able to source seedlings after the Ash Wednesday bushfires.

These seedlings were planted down tracks and in the corners of paddocks.

The Whites' farm was also involved in a government trial for salinity control, which meant more trees were planted.

While Russell said he was "not sure" if the salinity trial was successful, one advantage of boosting tree numbers has been that areas around the trees do not get boggy, unlike other parts of the paddocks, because the "trees take that much water".

Trees now run almost the full length of the farm boundary.

"All our grassy gullies are all treed and fenced ... to keep stock out," Russell said.

"Nothing fouls up a creek or waterway more than stock traipsing through it."

In recent years they have noticed an increase in koala and bird numbers, something Russell attributes to the extra tree cover.

"(We want) it to look aesthetically pleasing, (and) it's nice having the wildlife," Russell said.

"A lot of people probably laughed at us at the time, but look at the benefits now.

"And it's nice, on a summer's day, just sitting under trees."