The audit made many recommendations for pipe upgrades, pump replacement and the addition of variable speed drives. Six recommendations had a total annual energy saving of nearly $20,000 with a payback period under a year. Nearly $6,000 of extra annual savings may be available through tariff reviews. Emission savings have been estimated to be 114 t CO2-e per year.
The farm cultivates sugar cane south of Bundaberg, using flood irrigation, with some small crops grown for nitrogen replenishment. Water is dispersed around the farm using irrigation channels, supplied from dam storage and bores, using 25 separate pumping stations. There are on-site water storage dams as well as several aquaculture ponds. Of the 25 pumping stations, 14 were reviewed as part of the energy audit.
The farm owner acknowledged the considerable savings to be made and has started to implement a number of the recommendations from the energy audit.