Flexible Energy Consumption on NZ Farms: A Socio-Technical Study
- 1. Flexible Energy Consumption on NZ Farms A Socio-Technical Study Photo Credit : Dave Pearce Jefferson Dew, PhD Candidate, Centre for Sustainability Supervisors: Dr Janet Stephenson, Dr Sara Walton, and Dr Michael Jack OERC Symposium 23 November 2017
- 2. Overview • NSC – Science for Technological Innovation • Energy in Farming • Dairy and Irrigation • Rural electricity issues • Socio-Technical Research • Interviews • Next steps Photo Credit : Dave Pearce
- 3. Science for Technological Innovation • Objective: To enhance the capacity of New Zealand to use physical and engineering sciences for economic growth • Callaghan Innovation with all 8 Universities, 3 Crown Research Agencies & Lincoln Agritech • Smart Services Portfolio - Using data to do business better • Focus on primary and industrial sectors • Contestable funding available
- 4. Energy use in Farming Coal LPG Petrol Diesel Natural Gas Geother… Electricity Energy Consumption from Agriculture 2016 (MBIE) • Between 4-5% of total energy use annually • Overall electricity demand flat • Agriculture growing both for Diesel and Electricity use • Diesel almost all for portable equipment, Electricity almost all for stationary equipment • Dairy is the largest Electricity user • 47% increase in electricity use 2011-2016 0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 Dairy Cattle Farming Non-Dairy Agriculture Dairy Product Manufacturing Energy End Use By Fuel 2015 (EECA)
- 5. Dairy and Irrigation • 49% Irrigable land used for dairy (2012) • Irrigation expanding with 19% increase in area for Canterbury 2010-15 (Stats NZ) • Summer electricity demand for milking and irrigation • Aligned daily operations on farms in clusters • New data available soon from 2017 Ag Census Photo Credit : Dave Pearce
- 10. Timelapse
- 13. Electricity Demand Population: Ashburton – 31041 Hamilton – 156800
- 14. Rural Electricity Issues • Long lines • Upgrades ahead of schedule costly • Few customers to spread costs over • Security of supply • Milk chilling regulations • Value of flexible demand increases with dispersion Photo Credit : Dave Pearce
- 15. Solutions • New Infrastructure? • Batteries? • Energy Efficiency? • Backup Generators? • On-site generation? • Demand Response? • Technology requires a user and an owner Photo Credit : Dave Pearce
- 16. Socio-Technical Research Stephenson et al. 2016 • To investigate the options, barriers and opportunities for demand response in the farming sector within the broader context of disruptive change within energy and agricultural systems. • To understand and reduce barriers to adoption of demand response strategies through socio-technical approaches
- 17. Research questions With a particular focus on energy use in irrigation … • What is the technical feasibility and scale of opportunity for demand response in the farming sector? • What are the perceptions of farmers, irrigation sector and electricity sector stakeholders regarding barriers and benefits of demand response? • What social, economic and technical factors are constraining farmers from engaging in demand response? • How can these barriers be overcome?
- 18. Preliminary Interview Findings • Energy literacy low • Low priorities - not core business • Why spend money saving energy when more feed or another cow could give the same return? • Hydro-generators want irrigators as retail customers • Generation constrained by energy rather than power • Expectation from farmers that they would be more flexible than factories • Precision agriculture the next revolution • Pumps mostly 20-40kW, Some up to 120kW • Water much more tangible than energy Photo Credit : Dave Pearce
- 19. Next steps • Data obtained from one of the case studies • Maori trust owned-operated farms in Waikato • South Island irrigation case study to be confirmed • NZ Social Statistics Network course this month
- 20. Thanks Electricity consumption by sector (MBIE, 2017)