This case study summarises the outcomes from audits conducted on all 180 Queensland farms in the Energy Savers Plus Program (ESPPE)
Energy Savers
Summary
The total energy consumption from the measured areas on the 180 farms was 18,666,737kWh, at an annual cost of $4,187,148, resulting in emissions of 15,120 tonnes of CO2-e.
Opportunities: the main opportunities identified on all the farms included
- Pumping and Irrigation– Savings from Variable Speed Drive installation, pump replacements and maintenance, and changes to irrigation design and automation.
- Heating Ventilation and Cooling– (HVAC)– Maintenance and upgrades of condenser motor, VSD, ventilation fan and heating.
- Lighting and General– Replacement and retrofitting of lights with LEDs, infrastructure upgrades to facilitate efficiency gains and general management changes.
- Gas- Hot water, insulation and general heating improvements to gas systems on the farm.
- Solar Systems- Ranging in size from 5-100kW.
- Solar and Batteries– Grid-connected and standalone.
Table 1. Recommendations and Savings from 180 Energy Audits.
| Recommendation | Total | Energy Savings (kWh) | Cost Savings ($) | Capital Cost ($) | Average Payback (Years) | Emission Reduction (tCO2-e) |
| Pumping and Irrigation | 270 | 3,022,388 | 1,431,252 | 6,213,637 | 8.6 | 2,448 |
| HVAC | 106 | 823,916 | 225,735 | 1,602,001 | 6.8 | 667 |
| Lighting and General | 150 | 616,037 | 246,221 | 1,010,939 | 5.1 | 499 |
| Gas | 3 | 300,836 | 46,500 | 90,600 | 1.3 | 244 |
| Solar Systems | 136 | 2,646,573 | 844,687 | 3,711,130 | 5.9 | 2,144 |
| Solar and Batteries | 6 | 49,265 | 22947 | 156,363 | 10 | 40 |
| Total | 665 | 7,459,015 | 2,817,342 | 12,784,670 | 6.85 | 6,042 |
Note: The table does not include a production benefit of $13,825 and potential tariff savings of roughly $213,165 that attribute to the overall cost savings
Table 1 highlights the total potential energy savings of 7,459,015kWh including gas, identified in the audits.
Including production benefits, a reduction of $3,044,332 and an estimated 6,042 tonnes of CO2-e could be avoided per annum. At a capital cost of $12,784,670, the average payback was roughly 6.85 years.
Additional value adding from the energy audits showed how an increase in water delivery, and in some cases energy consumption, shows a potential increase in production and profit with a reduction in energy consumed per unit of output.
Table 2. Pre and Post Audit Metrics.
| Metric | Pre-Audits | Post- Audits | Reduction (%) |
| Consumption (kWh) | 18,666,737 | 11,207,722 | 40 |
| Energy Costs ($) | 4,187,148 | 1,142,816 | 72 |
| Emissions (tCO2-e) | 15,120 | 9,078 | 40 |
As the installation of the recommendations is made within the industry, measurement and verification will be undertaken, and case studies will be updated to include the actual energy savings.
Energy Efficiency for your Industry and Business
An energy audit is a great way to cut costs, reduce emissions and boost productivity.
The audits show that there are significant opportunities in all the industries to improve energy efficiency mainly by investigating the pumping and irrigation systems as well as by implementing solar systems.
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The Energy Savers Plus Extension Program is delivered by the Queensland Farmers Federation with support and funding from the Queensland Department of Energy and Public Works.
