Huge Reduction in Irrigation Energy Costs
Following the implementation of an Agriculture Victoria supported farm energy assessment, Wilandra Farms has reduced its average irrigation energy costs from $0.24c/kWh down to a jaw-dropping -$0.03c/kWh from the equivalent period of the prior year.
Sandra Jefford and Wilco Droppert, dairy farmers in Gippsland’s Wellington Shire, have invested in energy efficiency, solar photovoltaic panels and operational process upgrades to reduce the use of conventional power for irrigation, and heating and cooling in the dairy.
Sandra states: “We’re very happy with the system. It’s so much more than a typical renewable energy installation. The system has a ‘brain’ that works all day long, that never gets tired, that is constantly making clever decisions to ensure our farming operational requirements are met in the most cost-effective way.”
The cost savings:
In a full irrigation season, it’s expected that energy costs associated with irrigation will drop from approximately $100,000 per annum to below $15,000.
The labour savings:
With farm energy operations automated, monitored and controlled by smartphones, labour savings are in upwards of 15 hours a week which Sandra described as “a major change to our lifestyle.”
After the energy assessment Alternate Energy Innovations (AEI) developed a Renewable Energy Action Plan (REAP) which included installation of 200 kW of solar PV, optimisation of irrigation infrastructure and integration of AEI’s innovative and intelligent ‘AEI SmartBox’ system.
The SmartBox technology provides monitoring and automatic control of isolated irrigation and pumping systems and can schedule their operation to coincide with on-site renewable energy generation.
The SmartBox technology enables complete control over any energy consuming technology or product and can halve the payback period of solar PV invested in on-farm.
Dairy farmer Sandra Jefford with some of the project delivery team
After completing an energy audit or assessment of your farm, make sure you work with the auditor who completed it, to prepare and plan for the delivery of recommendations.
If you would like to know more about the Wilandra Smart Power Project please contact Sandra Jefford wilandra7@bigpond.com