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24/01/2023
While the future of carbon opportunities in agriculture is an ever-evolving space, for visionary Victorian operation Wilandra Farms, a quest to lower emissions is paying threefold.
An investment in energy-saving measures, renewable energy, irrigation automation and an energy management system has not only significantly reduced operating costs, it’s lowered the farm’s carbon footprint and eased labour requirements for owners Wilco Droppert and Sandra Jefford.
Located at Clydebank, near Sale in Victoria, their certified organic dairy milks 380 cows year round, while 200 of the farm’s 380 hectares can be irrigated using centre pivots for pastures and hay.
In 2019, considering the high energy needs of the business, an energy audit was completed across the farm, providing that detailed information about energy use, and reduction opportunities.
Sandra said the audit inspired the couple to generate their own power and reduce their reliance on traditional energy sources that have a significant carbon footprint.
“At that time, our irrigation and dairy operations were using about 500,000kWh of energy a year, and since then we’ve implemented a number of initiatives to reduce our energy needs, starting with the replacement of a 500 metre pipeline that was the wrong diameter to reduce friction loss.”
A new bore pump was also installed after the couple discovered the pump’s motor was the wrong size, with those two improvements alone estimated to have reduced power use by about 37 per cent at that pumping site.
An energy overhaul rewards business and environment
Encouraged by the results, in 2021 the couple started a major project around energy efficiency and renewable energy and implemented an automated energy management system to reduce the use of conventional power for their irrigation and dairy processes.
Irrigation accounted for approximately 71 per cent of the power used on the farm.
“We have a responsibility as an industry to slow down the impact of climate change, and generating our own power is a practical and meaningful contribution that also benefits the business.”
“Locally, if Lake Wellington was to rise due to rising sea levels, our whole region would be underwater, so it’s in all our best interest to do what we can,” Sandra said.
The couple worked in conjunction with Alternate Energy Innovations (AEI) in Morwell to develop a Renewable Energy Action Plan (REAP), with the project receiving funding through the Victorian government’s Agriculture Energy Investment Plan.
Infrastructure updates so far include the installation of 200 kW of solar energy and 56kWH of batteries, with four 5kW wind turbines also currently in transit to the farm for installation.
Whilst these initiatives have contributed enormously to reducing the farm’s energy bill and emissions, the installation of AEI’s innovative and intelligent ‘AEI SmartBox’ systems has been a lifestyle gamechanger.
“We have a responsibility as an industry to slow down the impact of climate change, and generating our own power is a practical and meaningful contribution that also benefits the business.”
“This systems allows for each irrigation and pumping component to be fully automated, controlled, and monitored, and we also now have the AEI App which allows us to monitor and operate farm irrigation systems via smartphones, including the ability to schedule each centre pivot irrigator up to three days in advance.”
“If the system knows that we need to irrigate, as soon as we have about 40kw of energy available near the dam – the site of 150kW of solar panels – a pump will start and deliver water to a pivot that automatically starts,” Sandra explains. “We also have two 37kW electric pumps which have replaced a diesel pump that was used to pump water from the dam to pivots.”
“With the automation that’s now in place, if a pivot stops, for example because it’s stuck in a low, wet spot, the system detects that the pivot is stationary, and the water is turned off, ensuring soil is not being over watered, and energy and water is not wasted.”
“We have solar panels that face east, north and west, to generate power for as much of the day as possible, and we use bifacial panels, whereby the backs of the panels can also generate power, albeit a small percentage.”
Infrastructure powers a renewed lifestyle
The technology has significantly changed the way Sandra and Wilco farm.
“We no longer have to drive kilometres to turn water on, or to check the dam height or fix bogged pivots in the middle of the night, everything can be monitored and managed from home.”
From less wear and tear on their vehicles to greater workplace safety not having to travel through paddocks in the dark, Sandra said the benefits were myriad.
“We’re reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and sleeping better each night, it’s been such a worthwhile project,” she said. “We could see the benefits this technology would have on paper, but it wasn’t until we did it that we really realised how life changing it was.”
“One of the greatest benefits, that you can’t put a value on, is the reduction in stress – now we mainly irrigate during the day, when we can see what’s happening, rather than at night which was often a worry.”
To further leverage their renewable energy, additional infrastructure investment included upgrades to pivot controls and new pivot nozzle packs suited to the water flow rate, variable speed drives on pumps on bores and at the river, and a larger diameter pipe to reduce friction loss.
During 2022’s irrigation period the AEI system managed the operation of each irrigation/pumping component to achieve a utilisation of generated renewable energy, on a typical day, in excess of 90 per cent, minimising grid usage to below 10 per cent.
“We no longer have to drive kilometres to turn water on, or to check the dam height or fix bogged pivots in the middle of the night, everything can be monitored and managed from home.”
“In a full irrigation season, it’s expected that energy costs associated with irrigation will drop from approximately $80,000 to $100,000 per annum to below $15,000, with a labour input saving of 15 hours per week – which is incredible.”
Energy upgrade to dairy for greater efficiency
The couple installed 29kW of solar panels on the roof of the dairy in 2017, and switched from heating water during the night to daytime heading with solar power.
However Sandra concedes that while it works well most days, on cloudy days power is still sourced from the grid.
Since the energy audit a number of recommendations have been implemented, including the replacement of two old, oil ring vacuum pumps with a lobe vacuum pump, resulting in less power demand and a far cleaner vacuum pump with no need for oil changes.
A new bore enables more water through a plate heat exchanger, to cool milk faster which Sandra said had been a very successful investment, and a new CO2 heat pump water service was also installed – using just one third of the power compared to a conventional hot water service.
“The unit did come with a high purchase price, and required the addition of a circulation pump to get around water temperature stratification, so it may not be the best option in all dairies.”
“I think farms can play a huge role in reducing emissions, and a collaborative approach using microgrids could even reduce the need for transition lines – that’s our hope for the future and we’re excited to share the results of our project to inspire others,” Sandra said.
The installation of equipment to monitor temperatures and energy use around the dairy has also proved valuable – providing useful data for continual improvement – and Sandra said their focus was continuing to improve the energy efficiency of the dairy, with plenty more work still to do.
Knowledge sharing for collaborative solutions
Next month, Wilandra Farms will play host to a knowledge sharing event, “Smart Farm Power – opportunities in an uncertain carbon future”.
The field day will take place initially at The Stables, Sale, and will features a line-up of eight guest speakers, including Rabobank’s Head of Sustainable Business Development, Lachlan Monsbourgh, and will cover topics such as ‘How can Australia’s agricultural sector realise opportunity in a low emissions future?’.
Following the presentations in Sale, the participants will then visit the farm to look at the automated irrigation and renewable energy system, and other features of the Wilco and Sandra’s regenerative farming system.
Sandra said this was the couple’s first experience hosting visitors on farm and sharing their knowledge, and whilst a little nerve-wracking, she felt it was important for the dairy industry to unite on a progressive path.
“I think farms can play a huge role in reducing emissions, and a collaborative approach using microgrids could even reduce the need for transition lines – that’s our hope for the future and we’re excited to share the results of our project to inspire others,” Sandra said.
For more information, and to book a place at the field day, to be held on Thursday February 2, see www.ivvy.com.au/event/wilandra2023