Why upgrade you’re A4s to the NEW A5 Next?

What improves with an A5 Next (and why it pays)

• Lower electricity per liter of milk. Independent testing found a A5 used ~1.7 kWh/100 L vs 2.6 kWh/100 L for an A4 (≈35% less). 

In BC, medium general service power runs about $0.108/kWh. 

• Faster, smoother throughout. In validation A5 herds that averaged 25 second teat attachment vs 35 second on the A4 (and ~4% more milkings/day and production). That translates to more shipped milk when quota/incentive days allow. 

• Time & consumable savings. The A5 Next adds an automatic milk filter (stainless, back-flushed) that eliminates paper sock filters and manual changes—one filter can serve up to four robots. 

• Less downtime & callouts. The A5 Next’s new OS enables remote updates/diagnostics; field trials reported fewer alarms and more milkings between alerts (+/- 10) i.e., better uptime and fewer after-hours visits

A conservative worked example (BC, 120 cows, 2 robots)

Assumptions (kept modest): 35 L/cow/day (4,200 L/day barn average), BC Hydro $0.108/kWh, labor $30/h fully loaded. For milk revenue I used  $1.00/L as a round estimate (BC blend has hovered around $101.33/hl =$1.01/L). Actual pay depends on components/transport/deductions and quota. 

1. Power Savings

-A5 vs A4 saves 0.9 kWh/100 L = 0.009 kWh/L.

-Daily kWh saved: 4,200 L × 0.009 = 37.8 kWh/day → $4.08/day → ~$1,490/yr at $0.108/kWh. 

2. Filter socks & labor you stop spending (A5 Next)

   - Consumables avoided (example): $0.75 per sock × 3 changes/day/robot × 365 × 2 robots = $1,640/yr (adjust with your real usage/price).

   - Labor avoided: 3 min/change × 3/day × 2 robots = 18 min/day → ~110 h/yr = $3,300/yr.

Total ~$4,900/yr saved from this one upgrade feature. (Backed by A5 Next’s integrated auto-filter.) 

3. Uptime & service

If fewer alarms/remote fixes prevent even one after-hours call-out (say $300–$700) and a couple hours of missed milkings, that’s easily $500–$1,500/yr in avoided cost/spoilage risk. 

4. You can monetize (when you can ship it)

   -Using a very cautious +1.5% barn-level lift (below the 4% seen in validation herds):

   -4,200 L/day × 1.5% = +63 L/day → ~$23,000/yr gross if you have quota headroom or incentive days to ship it. (If you’re fully capped, the benefit shows up as lower box time per cow, capacity to add a few cows per robot, or more resilient performance on hot days.) 

Put together (conservative, before milk increase)

Power ($1.5k) + auto-filter & labor ($4.9k) + uptime ($0.5–1.5k)

= $6.9–7.9k/yr per two-robot barn even without counting extra milk.

Add the extra shipped milk when BC offers incentive days or you hold quota growth (e.g., ~$23k/yr at +1.5%), and the upgrade shifts from “cost control” to a growth lever. 

How it helps you grow (BC reality)

• Fill incentive days / quota growth more reliably. Faster attachment and higher uptime convert directly into kg BF on the days you’re allowed to ship more. 

• Run more cows per box (or milk calmer). Better attachment & fewer alarms free robot minutes. That can support a few extra cows/box—or the same cows with shorter waiting and better welfare (often reflected in components). 

• Reduce recurring OPEX. BC power is already relatively cheap, but shaving ~35% robot kWh/100 L still drops costs every month. 

• De-risk operations. The A5 Next’s OS/remote support and the new Lely Hub (data resilience) reduce cyber/power hiccup risks that can stop milk flow. Less scramble, less dumped milk. 

Connect with your local WCR Sales Rep and take the next step toward an A5 Next.