1. Glazebrook
Lodge
By Koyal Reddy, Shakira Kalksma, Kylie Hamlin. Students of Otago Polytechnic

2. Introduction
• Glazebrook Lodge is located in
the Waihopai Valley in
Marlborough.
• At the centre of a majestic 23000
acre property called Glazebrook
Station.
• Since 1887 it has been a working
sheep and cattle station.
• Constructed in 2007.
• Generating their own electricity
with a hydro turbine

3. Accommodation
The lodge at Glazebrook
Station consists of a main
sporting lodge that houses a
comfortable living area, bar,
dining room and kitchen. The
staff chef prepares warm,
hearty meals with regional and
local fare, with guests
gathering nightly to share their
daily adventures.
Four private chalets adjoin the
main lodge and are appointed
with comfortable beds, ensuite
baths and reading areas.

4. The Hydro Scheme
A small dam has been build upstream of
the lodge which stores a small amount
of water and temporarily diverts it into
a long pipe that takes the water over
2km down stream to the generator and
battery bank.
The system in Glazebrook Lodge takes
less than 10% of the flow when the
stream is at its lowest so that fish can
migrate freely and use the water
resource.
A fish ladder has been built to provide a
safe passage for the migratory fish
which was a condition of their resource
consent.
Small-scale generator produces reliable
renewable electricity with only minor
effects on the environment.

5. The generating system
Genkit Nelson Ltd installed a micro-
hydro scheme at the lodge which
enables them to become more energy
self sufficient by largely using
renewable energy.
The hydro turbine has an output of
3.25kilowatts and generates over 28000
kilowatt hours each year, enough to
power 3 average New Zealand houses.
The turbine charges the battery bank
which stores the energy until it is used.
An inverter is used to convert the
electricity into AC electricity so that it
can be used for appliances.
As a back up plan a diesel is there in
case the batteries run out or the
generator stops working.

6. The hydro turbine
The turbine is mounted on top of an
air vent which allows the water to
return back to the stream to reduce
environmental impacts.
According to Steve Smith, the New
Zealand general manager of the
Westervelt company which owns the
lodge states “It would be great to be
100% renewable, rather than having
to rely on the diesel back-up. It may
have been difficult, given the
electricity demand profile of the
lodge, but we could have looked at
smarter and more efficient appliances
to reduce peak demand. This is
something I would look into next
time.”

7. The battery bank, The inverter
and electrics
The battery bank is capable of
supplying the lodge with
approximately 36 hours of
electricty without charge.
There are 48 1000amp/hr
battery cells and due to the
potential fumes being emitted
from the batteries a vent fan
pressurises the room when the
batteries are being charged.
The Inverters convert the electicity from the battery bank into useful electricty
for the lodge. There are four inverters, each with 3 kW of output.

8. Sustainable practices
They have a secure electricity as they
generate their own electricity by using with
a hydro turbine machine which matches the
companies environmental vision.
They make sustainable meals by cooking up
free range animals and gourmet local
produce. For gourmet muffins all meals are
prepared in the heart of the lodge
The lodge kitchen is renowned for its
outstanding food and wine selection.
Venison, pork, lamb and wild duck come
from the property and surrounding
region, and the proximity to the ocean
offers an abundance of fresh deep sea
fish, salmon, lobster and mussels.
Glazebrook lodge is surrounded by the natural environment with breath
taking views which provides people with nature based activities right from the
front door from trout fishing to hunting.

9. Conclusion
The system provides cost effective
power for the Lodge and it runs
smoothly. According to Steve Smith
“Because we are so remote and
teething problems can be more
difficult to fix.”
Glazebrook uses renewable energy
technologies to avoid the high costs
of connecting to the electricity
network and the on going costs of
diesel. By doing this they are
supporting their values and brand.
The installation cost around $300,000 and only around $40,000 was for
laying pipes and the rest went to electrics, turbine and resource
consents. Compared to the cost of connecting to the electricity network,
plus the on going cost of electricity and maintenance this was the
cheaper option.