Case
PERSPECTIVE: How satellite-connected solar-powered pumping systems transform Australian agriculture.
Jurgen Mrozek - Grundfos Senior Product Manager
As Australia is full of vast farmland, careful and strategic management of water resources is essential.
Whilst many farmers may struggle to access water sources, their livelihoods and livestock depend on a constant supply. Therefore, it is imperative to ensure that their pump and tank systems are as reliable and efficient as possible.
THE PROBLEM
It is common for farmers to be required to drive huge distances regularly to check on their troughs and tanks manually, ensuring there is enough water and no maintenance issues. These drives do not take place on well-built roads and motorways, but rather on rural tracks, exposing to high-risk situations just to check on the water source. These tracks can take hours to cover, resulting in huge expenditures in fuel, time, and energy .
Speaking to one of our distributors, Peter Chadband from The Pump House, he highlighted that due to climate change causing “drier dry’s and wetter wet’s”, farmers are facing growing concerns on how to “future-proof their farms” and ensure that their livestock still have access to enough water when the weather strikes or it is not possible to manually check on the pumps.
Using satellite technology integrated in Grundfos SQFlex solar-powered pump, farmers are able to monitor their systems remotely from the Grundfos Solar Connect mobile app, 24 hours a day.
By using the app, farmers can monitor the water levels and usage in storage tanks. The app will also report the status of a water pump and is able to alert the user of any issues, such as low supply. It also helps to inform about warning and fault conditions, allowing the farmer/operator to make more informed decisions relating to potential maintenance requirements.
We must continue to roll out sustainable pumping technology to make a real difference to the lives of Australian farmers in hitting sustainability goals, being drought resilient and for overall animal welfare.
THE BENEFITS
OPERATIONAL
This technology dramatically improves the lives of farmers that spend a significant amount of time on pump maintenance. Utilising this technology maximises operational efficiency as the hours spent driving from pump to pump to check on them manually can now be used elsewhere and farmers are able to prioritise pumps that the app has identified as needing attention first.
Proactive pump monitoring enables farmers to address issues even before water tanks are depleted, empowering them to pre-empt potential problems and prevent water loss.
SUSTAINABLE
Usage reports can also indicate whether water is being pumped in sustainable amounts, which helps to ensure the longevity of supply and avoid wastage.
Monitoring this information is also beneficial for drought resilience. Demand for solar connectivity is growing across areas with a significant drought risk, particularly Queensland and NSW. Monitoring data from the pump systems allows farmers to check on water supply, plan for extreme weather and respond efficiently.
ENVIRONMENTAL
The ability to check on tanks remotely also has environmental benefits, with less driving needed, therefore reducing CO2 emissions significantly.
Australia is the first country to pilot Grundfos Solar Connect, which is proving to be a success, with more and more farmers adding this technology to their Grundfos solar pumping systems. This technology holds the promise of making a significant difference to the lives of thousands of Australian livestock farmers.