An energy audit report on the vegetable industry has revealed some winning strategies when it comes to cutting energy costs.
The study suggested that the best returns on investment are achieved through prevention of energy losses followed by energy efficiency improvements, according to Ausveg.
“It is clear that many growers have embraced, or are looking to adopt, measures to improve energy practices at their operations, with the report stating that a reduction in processed waste is a major opportunity for some growers to pursue,” says Ausveg spokesperson Tamara Ungar.
The report also found that many were investing in new technologies and equipment to increase efficiency and decrease waste, including PV panel systems for solar energy production and LED lighting.
Key areas for potential reductions in energy demands for the vegetable industry include diesel plant efficiency, refrigeration efficiency, cool room energy loss reduction, irrigation pump efficiency and irrigation system design, according to the report.
Energy costs have almost doubled over the last decade, according to Ausveg, prompting the industry to take a closer look at the way facilities use energy, and to then use the report to identify inefficiencies and reduce costs.
The benchmarking data in the report was gathered from a series of 22 audits conducted on vegetable growing farms, by Infotech Research. The study focused on medium and large growing facilities with processing plants.
According to Ausveg, though the report found significant variation in energy consumption, this was more closely related to crops processed than the size of operations.
