One half hour with two pumps on sets the month
Irrigation demand charges come down to one half hour. Ergon bills the highest 30-minute average at your connection, so a second pump starting at the wrong time costs you all month.
You'll only see it on the bill, weeks later.
A pump station can use little energy and still carry a big bill. Cotton Australia reported St George growers moving some pumps to diesel.
- A second bore pump starts while the first is running.
- Pumps all restart together after a power blip.
- Poor power factor lifts kVA while kW looks normal.
Today versus with kVA alerts
| Topic | Today | With monitoring |
|---|---|---|
| Finding the peak | On the bill, weeks after the half hour | A text while the half hour is still open |
| Pump start order | Timer or whoever's in the ute | You hold or delay the next pump |
| Which pumps overlapped | A guess from the interval data | Pump run times beside the kVA readings |
| Power factor | Noticed when the bill jumps | A text when it drops |
What we fit at the pump board
-
Three-phase power meter
Reads kW, kVA and power factor on the incoming supply.
Reads every 1 to 5 min
-
Pump current clamps
Shows which pumps are running, so you can see who overlapped.
One per pump you want
-
Gateway at the board
Picks up the meter readings by radio.
Weatherproof enclosure
-
Starlink backhaul
Sends the text out where there's no mobile signal.
4G where signal is good
-
SMS alerts
Texts the irrigator and anyone else you nominate.
Warn at about 90%
How irrigation demand charges get caught at the pump board
- 1
A meter on the board
A three-phase power meter sits on the incoming supply, after the utility meter. It reads kW, kVA and power factor.
- 2
Radio to the gateway
The node sends each reading by LoRaWAN (long range radio) every 1 to 5 minutes to a gateway at the board.
- 3
We work out the half hour
From those readings we project the half-hour kVA. At about 90% of your target, an alert goes out.
- 4
A text to you
The gateway sends out by Starlink or 4G. You hold the next pump or start it in your agreed order.
The same afternoon, with and without a text
Without monitoring
- 3:30 pmTwo bores are running. The timer starts a third.
- 3:45 pmThe river pump starts too. Nobody's watching.
- 4:00 pmThe half hour closes at a new monthly peak.
With monitoring
- 3:30 pmTwo bores are running. kVA is under target.
- 3:38 pmProjection hits 90% of target. Your phone buzzes.
- 3:40 pmYou hold the river pump until the half hour turns.
- 4:05 pmPump starts in order. The peak stays down.
The text that lands before the peak does
Pump stn projected kVA, 30 min interval
Dashboard view
- Pumps running
- 2 bores
- Projected kVA
- 101% of target
- Power factor
- 0.93
On an irrigation pump station
Irrigators with big pumps feel this most, because demand is high and use is low. We match the alerts to the order your pumps normally start.
Want to see which pump is working hardest? Add irrigation pump monitoring. If your tariff has a 5pm to 8pm window, see irrigation pump peak tariff alerts.
A failed bore pump still needs catching early, so there's irrigation bore pump failure alerts as well.
What it costs
We set a fixed price after a short scoping call or a site visit. It depends on how many pumps you want watched, how far the board is from the gateway, and how it gets out. After handover, ongoing support is available as a plan.
Get a quote for pump kVA alertsThe fixed price covers
- Power meter, current transformers and any pump clamps
- Gateway, surge protection and Starlink or 4G backhaul
- Installation and electrical work under QLD Electrical Contractor Licence 1513082
- Alert set-up, your kVA target and who gets the text
- Commissioning on real pump starts, and training
- An ongoing support plan after handover
What this won't do
- It doesn't start, stop or protect pumps. Your starters, drives and motor protection stay as they are.
- Readings come every few minutes, so the warning is a projection, not a live feed. It can't catch a direct-on-line start inside one minute.
- Our meter is indicative. The bill follows the utility meter.
- Readings stop if the gateway or backhaul is out.