From irrigating to warehousing and cold storage, the horticultural industry leans heavily on power to drive its operations.
The Australian energy market is changing. This opens new opportunities for businesses to take back control of their energy and turn it into a competitive advantage.
Read on for a few ways to combat your most energy intensive operations.
Tap into better energy
Irrigating systems are the backbone of thriving crops. But they can be energy – and water – intensive. In fact, last year more than 7.2 million megalitres of water was applied to crops in Australia.
While many growers are looking at smarter ways to use water, there is a way to save money on energy costs by looking at how you power the pumps that water crops.
Growers looking to save are perfectly placed to reap the benefits of buying energy wholesale. Growers can uncover an additional layer of savings by simply looking at how and when they pump water.
It can be as simple as scheduling the powering of pumps when energy prices are low and keeping pumping at a minimum when they are higher. We call this demand response and put simply, it means responding to price signals in the market.
Keep it cool
Cold storage comes into the picture once crops are harvested and need to be kept fresh before they make their way to store shelves across the country. Crops can be kept in cold storage for long periods and keeping them at stable temperatures is crucial, which can push up energy costs.
With some planning, growers can make the most of demand response, even for operations like cold storage that require a steady source of power.
Growers with any flexibility to precool can reduce power usage at certain peak price periods. Backup generators can also switch on as a power source when prices peak, to avoid high prices and take pressure off the grid.
Summer’s a hit
For many growers, heavy seasonal energy use is a fact of life. That also means, it is a predictable annual expense that can be planned for.
Instead of paying the same rate year-round – harvest or not – buying energy from the wholesale market connects you to the actual price of power. That means, growers have more opportunities to make the most of the wholesale market’s low prices.
While highs are typically short and infrequent, strategies like demand response and our Ceiling can help minimise growers’ exposure to these peaks.
By taking control of how they use energy, growers can turn energy back into a competitive advantage. Making the simple switch to wholesale can help spark new opportunities to grow savings.
Any questions? We’re here to help.
If you’re interested in learning more about how you can cut energy costs, our friendly team are always available for a chat.
If you’re an existing Flow Power customer, please do not hesitate to reach out to your account manager.
If you’re not a Flow Power customer contact our friendly team today:
? 1300 08 06 08 (within business hours)
?️ Live chat message (within business hours via the chat button at the bottom of your screen)
Alternatively, you can submit your questions through our website contact form here.
