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Sweeten your energy consumption with QRIDA

21 April 2026

By QRIDA Regional Area Manager for Central Coast and Whitsundays, Tegan McBride

Cost of production is one of the most significant pressures facing cane growers across the Central Coast and Whitsundays today. The good news? There are practical, proven upgrades that can cut your power bills, boost productivity, and reduce emissions. 

For example, an energy efficiency audit carried out by the Queensland Famer’s Federation (QFF) found a Mackay sugar cane farm that modified their discharge piping on a 45kW pump delivered 10% energy savings with a 3.4-year payback and estimated emission savings of 3.1 tCO2-e.

Here are five tips on how cane growers can consider reducing the energy consumption of their farm business: 

1. Upgrade to Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) pumps - this is one of the top recommendations to come out of energy audits across Queensland cane farms. 
2. Install solar PV systems – this is a high-impact investment, with audits consistently recommending systems ranging from 5–100kW to offset grid energy demand for pumping. 
3. Modernise irrigation design - cane growers could replace outdated travelling gun systems with lateral move irrigators, which can reduce energy demand while increasing production capacity by up to 20% per hectare.
4. Retrofit sheds and infrastructure with LED lighting – this is a low-cost, fast-payback upgrade that consistently features in energy audit recommendations for cane farms.
5. Get an energy audit - free independent audits are available through the Queensland Farmers’ Federation’s Energy Savers program, giving growers a clear picture of where they’re losing energy and what upgrades will deliver the best return.

A concessional QRIDA Sustainability Loan of up to $1.3 million can help eligible cane growers fund on-farm energy efficient upgrades. 

Visit QRIDA's Sustainability Loan webpage or call QRIDA on 1800 623 946 to find out more about how you can power more and spend less with QRIDA. 

Visit Queensland Ag Energy Hub's website to find out more about energy information for farmers. 

Note: The case study referred to in this article is a Queensland Ag Energy Hub case study. The Queensland Ag Energy Hub is managed by the Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) and was funded by the Queensland Government.