Aquaculture, Voltage, Power Factor and VSDs: A north Queensland Barramundi Farm case study.

Alan Day has completed QBEST energy audits at two north Queensland aquaculture farms and a cane farm.

The webinar is based on an energy audit of Daintree Saltwater Barramundi Farm though will be worth watching for any farms who are large electricity consumers, using large pumps and motors.

The farm had been heavily impacted by Cyclone Jasper, with significant loss of stock and infrastructure damage, and was working hard to rebuild and recover.

The webinar provides a detailed explanation of Voltage and Power Factor, and how they both impact on the efficient running on motors and how power factor is accounted for in energy bills where large customers are charged for metered demand.

The webinar provide a good electrical engineers perspective of an energy audit including a good discussion on how variable speed drives work.

All of the projects identified in the audit had a total cost of $258,050 and an annual saving of $102,835, giving a simple payback of 2.5 years when combined, with the payback periods for individual projects ranging between 0 and 4.8 years.

See the webinar video here:

QFF is delivering Type 2 and 3 energy audits at 35 large electricity users throughout Queensland as part of the The Queensland Business Energy Savers Transformation (QBEST) initiative. QFF is delivering the QBEST Program with funding from the Queensland Government.

There are over 100 energy efficiency case studies from recent on-farm energy audits on the Ag Energy Hub - An energy resource hub for Queensland farmers and landholders (qldagenergyhub.com.au)