Less Energy More Profit article
18 January 20152014 Reverse Trade Mission
8 February 2015Research into on farm power generation has produced details of the options, and explored feasibility of adoption of such systems. Growers can use this to help them make informed decisions about the economic, technical and operational costs and benefits of the various technologies, the challenges of installation and operation, and the suitability of systems to individual ventures. The study considered three types of on-site power generation using reciprocating engines: Simple generation (ie electricity only) Cogeneration of electricity and process heat Cogeneration of electricity and process cooling The key issue for viability is the cost of gas. This analysis found that simple or cogeneration requires fuel prices that can compete with the amount paid for electricity. Additional heating or cooling from cogeneration can provide another potential benefit. The capital cost and payback periods are less important than the cost of fuel, which dominates the financial performance.