ENERGY EFFICIENCY
IMPROVING PUMPING SYSTEM EFFICIENCY to reduce power costs on Queensland farms Agriculture is an energy-intensive industry, with energy making up a large portion of operating costs. However, there are numerous opportunities to significantly reduce these costs by improving and optimising equipment and practices; and switching from obsolete or to a more appropriate tariff. To help Queensland farmers reduce their energy costs, through its Energy Savers Program, the State Government has been working in partnership with the Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) to conduct energy audits on farms to identify energy use and costs, and to provide recommendations for changes – and funding help to implement these – to help them focus their efforts. Pump Industry magazine spoke to Andrew Chamberlin, Project Manager Energy at QFF, about the program and one of the many farms that have benefited from it.
Helping agricultural businesses realise energy savings
The Energy Savers Program is part of the Queensland Government's $2 billion Affordable Energy Plan. The program aims to assist agricultural businesses identify what equipment or processes are using the most energy, and what options are available to upgrade equipment or new processes that can be implemented that will achieve energy savings or productivity improvements.
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pump industry | Spring 2020 | Issue 33
The program is funded by the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy (DRME) and delivered by Ergon Energy in partnership with the Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) and its member organisations. Findings have indicated farmers can significantly reduce their electricity bills through more efficient practices, with the Energy Savers Program helping them realise this saving by providing free personalised audits that identify opportunities to cut costs in areas such as on-farm heating, irrigation
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