Water, sunlight and clever farm practices will strip out 10% of the energy costs for this small farm just south of Byron Bay. Otto and Lynette Saeck have been improving their business continually over the past 10 years. Their next opportunity is to optimise water application and pumping schedules and exploit the sunshine available using solar PV-generated power to reduce their grid-delivered electricity use dramatically. Other initiatives they’re considering include installing high-efficiency motors (HEMs) and variable speed drives (VSDs).

The Drews are investigating a solar PV system for their homestead and their piggery to deliver power for lighting, feed augers and heat lamps for the piglets. “We are keen to reduce our dependency on the grid and save on running costs so that we have a prosperous future,” says Nick Drew, a fourth-generation pig farmer. Other energy-saving initiatives Nick is implementing or considering include installing more efficient heat lamps in the nursery and switching the mill over from a PTO off the back of an old 30hp Massey Ferguson tractor, to 21 and 6hp electric motors for the hammer mill and the mixer. The current set-up incurs significant losses, with a five-metre belt drive and limited capacity to vary motor speed to suit the load.

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