Participation Survey
Background: Energy is one of the temperate fruit industry’s biggest costs. Major energy sinks are refrigeration, irrigation, packing line, orchard fuel and lighting. With help from the Commonwealth Government, APAL in conjunction with SAL and CGA are embarking on a program to help growers to save energy and reduce energy-related costs. The program is called called “Watts in your Business”.
Purpose: The purpose of this survey is to gather information on energy use in the industry today.
Incentive: The Watts in your Business program will conduct 30 comprehensive energy audits in 10 production regions across Australia. Sites will be chosen by region, size (large, medium and small) and crop type. By completing this survey you receive the chance to be chosen for a free comprehensive energy audit of your business.
Confidentiality: Data collected will be kept confidential. If we want to use the data in any way that would identify you or your business, we will gain your permission before hand.
Any Questions? Please contact Russell Soderlund, Watts in your Business Project Officer, on 0400 117 360 or
Section 1 – Contact Details
Name
Position
Phone. No. Email:
If the person above does not have a sound understanding of site operations or is not available to escort an energy auditor around the site during an audit, please nominate an alternative suitable person below:
Name
Position
Phone. No. Email:
Section 2 – Site and Production Details
The site to be audited should be the site on which the coolstores and packhouse are located. If you have neither a coolstore or packhouse nominate the largest orchard site in your business
Site Name
Address
Please list below the types of crops grown and the proportion of each:
Crop Proportion of total production per year
%
%
%
%
%
Technical Service Providers to your Business
Please list your service contractors who you would be happy to recommend to others. This question is optional.
Service Type / Specialist Company NameRefrigeration / Cool Store
Electrician
Irrigation / Pumps
Packing / Grading Equipment
Controlled Atmosphere in Cool Store
Power Monitoring / Energy Management
Section 3 - Energy Use
What type of energy is used on site? (please put an “X” in the appropriate box or boxes)
Electricity / Natural Gas / LPG / Diesel / Other (specify)What type of irrigation is used on site? (please put an “X” in the appropriate box or boxes)
Drip/micro-sprinkler / Overhead sprinkler / Flood / Other (specify)You may want to refer to your electricity/gas/diesel bills for the past year to answer these next questions. “Last year” means the most recent 12 month period for which you have bills (or other information).
Electricity
How much electricity was consumed last year (kWh)?
How much was spent (including GST) on electricity last year ($)?
Natural Gas
How much natural gas was consumed last year (GJ)?
How much was spent (including GST) on natural gas last year ($)?
LPG
How much LPG was consumed last year (Litres)?
How much was spent (including GST) on LPG last year ($)?
Diesel fuel (for orchard operations)
How much diesel was consumed last year (Litres)?
How much was spent (including GST) on diesel last year ($)?
Coolrooms and Packhouse
(Please place an “X” in the boxes that apply
Yes / NoDoes your facility have cold storage on site?
Does your facility have a packhouse on site?
Section 4 - Attitudes towards energy efficiency
In relation to your business, please place an “X” in the box to indicate whether you agree or disagree with each statement.
Question / Strongly disagree / Disagree / Don’t know / Agree / Strongly Agree /Our business is aware of their current average yearly energy consumption in kWh.
The cost of energy bills come as a surprise to our business when received.
We can predict what our energy bills will cost our business in 2015.
We are currently phasing out the refrigerant R22 due to changes in Australian regulations (please leave blank if you do not use R22 refrigerant).
Being energy efficient is important to our staff.
Our business would be interested in implementing energy saving programs that provided a 3 year payback on investment.
Our business would be interested in implementing energy saving programs that provided a 5 year payback on investment.
Our business would be interested in implementing energy saving programs that provided a 7 year payback on investment.
Our business is aware of government funded programs which can help us to implement energy saving projects
Our business is aware of new technologies which would help save energy on our site.
We believe that by implementing energy saving programs and technologies we can save our business money.
We believe that the “Watts in your Business” program will help increase our awareness and knowledge of energy saving technologies which would help reduce energy consumption and operating costs.
Please place an “X” in the box to indicate how often your business complies with each statement.
Question / Never / Sometimes / Don’t know / Often / Always
Our staff practice energy saving behaviours, for example turning off the lights and ensuring that cool store doors are closed.
When purchasing new equipment we consider both the purchase price and the operating costs of the equipment.
In the past 2 years our business has installed the following energy saving upgrades and or capital improvements related to energy saving:
In the next 2 years our business is considering/investigating the following energy saving upgrades and or capital improvements related to energy use:
Section 5 – Participants Responsibilities
If selected for a free energy audit, your business will be required to assist by:
1. Providing a suitable staff member to escort an energy auditor around the site, show them site operations and answer questions. It is anticipated that the audit will take approximately half a day and will occur between Monday and Friday. This same staff member must be available to answer subsequent questions from the auditor after they leave the site on an as needs basis (via phone), in order to complete the audit.
2. Provide copies of the past 24 months energy bills including electricity, natural gas, LPG and diesel (where applicable)
3. If you have a smart meter, provide the auditor with permission to obtain electricity usage data (eg Web Graph data) from your electricity supplier.
4. If your site has engaged the services of a Power Monitoring / Energy Management firm (eg Utilacor), provide the auditor with permission to obtain data from the firm.
5. If requested, act as a host for an orchard/packhouse farm walk and seminar.
6. I agree that my name, the name of my business and information collected in the energy audit can be used in fact sheets, case studies and reports related to the Watts in your Business project – including details of energy usage.
Signed by the Business Principal
Date
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