Welcome to the September 2018 edition of QFF's Energy Savers E-news. In this edition you’ll find irrigation energy efficiency tips, read about a farmer utilising solar energy and learn how get involved in subsidised energy management training run by the Energy Efficiency Council.
Top five irrigation efficiency tips
The Energy Savers energy efficiency audits of 130 Queensland farms, have helped farmers identify where they can make energy savings and other efficiency improvements.The final audit reports included a list of recommendations with costings that the farmers could use to make investment and management decisions.
Energy management training for Queensland businesses
Introduction to Energy Management training courses run by the Energy Efficiency Council are available to Queensland businesses in December, with more courses to follow in 2019. The Queensland Government is offering significant subsidies for a limited time and will support businesses with follow-up support and guidance.
A Narromine cotton farmer has installed what may be Australia’s largest solar diesel hybrid irrigation pump. The system consists of a 500kW solar array and a 500kVA generator running a 250kW electric motor which pumps up to 15ML per day with up to 8ML per day by solar alone. It will reduce the current 350,000 litres of diesel use by half!
Ergon is inviting primary producers to work together with their electricity retailer to connect farm equipment, to the load control tariff 33. Tariff 33 is cheaper than primary tariffs because the supply is interruptible and Ergon controls the times when power is available. The initiative will help farmers better understand how a load control tariff works and its suitability for farm operations.
Lower Burdekin Water have achieved 58,000kWh in annual energy savings, with a 40 per cent cost saving and a payback period of less than two years with a pump efficiency upgrade after an Energy Savers audit. They’re so happy with the savings on their 130kW pump, they’re rolling it out to all their 16 other pump stations!
We've updated our Fact Sheet to help you choose the right financial product to help with those energy efficiency or renewable energy upgrades. Once you've identified energy savings or renewable energy opportunities for your farm, the next challenge is to find the funds or finance to make it happen. There are a number of options available.
With 55 case studies including five videos, the Energy Savers website allows you to search for a case study by sector, location, irrigation type and a range of technologies.
