Energy efficient irrigation
Industry:
Dairy, Horticulture, Poultry, Nursery and garden, Pork, Grains and fodder, Eggs, Cotton, Sugarcane, Beef, Aquaculture
Location:
Atherton Tablelands, Border Rivers, Cape York Peninsula, Central West, Darling Downs, Dry Tropics, Fitzroy, Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday, Maranoa-Balonne, North West, South-East, South-West, Southern Downs, Torres Strait, Wet Tropics, Wide Bay Burnett, Queensland
Pump Type:
Booster, Bore, Centrifugal, Diesel Pump, Submersible, Turbine, Not applicable
Irrigation Type:
Boom, Centre Pivot, Drip, Flood, Hydroponic, Micro irrigation, Solid set, Travelling gun
Technology:
Irrigation and Pumps
With Irrigation making up a large proportion of on-farm energy for many sectors, there are often significant opportunities to save energy with improved irrigation systems.
Moving water around is energy-intensive so by saving water, farmers can also save energy. Many agricultural sectors have worked over recent years on Rural Water Use Efficiency Projects.
The Energy Savers Programs audited a number of irrigation systems and identified a number of energy efficiency savings. See the Irrigation Case Studies here.
Some key aspects to an efficient irrigation system are:
- Needs analysis, design and planning to balance water and energy efficiency objectives to deliver the right amount of water at the right time.
- Optimising equipment, so that the system delivers the best result for the energy inputs.
- Energy source – using the most cost effective and efficient energy source.
Irrigation Australia and WaterWise Queensland outline other key aspects to an efficient irrigation system which you can access here.