As the cost of energy, and the pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions increases and combines with the problems energy supply companies have maintaining supply during peak times, the issue of energy efficiency becomes much more important. Field tests have shown there is a large variation in pump efficiencies and costs in many of the irrigation sectors in Queensland, and the nursery industry is no different. On-farm pump performance tests completed over a period of 10 years, as part of the Rural Water Use Efficiency Initiative, found that irrigation systems that functioned poorly were often linked to poor pump performance. This testing showed a significant variation in efficiency, with some results as low as 23% and an average around 48%.
