Will Bowden: saving energy – and working smarter

According to a new paper co-authored by ANZ and the Energy Efficiency Council (EEC), Putting energy efficiency to work for business, energy efficiency not only helps businesses lower their bills and increase their competitiveness and productivity – it also plays an important role in helping Australia meet its net-zero goals.

Tasmanian Central Highlands farmer, Will Bowden, is no stranger to the benefits of energy efficiency and, by using tech innovations, has created wins for sustainability while reducing operating costs, increasing productivity and boosting his competitive advantage.

Innovation runs in Will Bowden’s blood starting with his great-great-great grandfather, an ex-convict turned policeman who ended up running a family pub. His son, Will’s great-great grandfather, struck gold in the Californian goldfields. The family used the proceeds of the sale of the pub and the gold to purchase the Cluny Property which now spans across 15,500 hectares.

After studying contour irrigation at New Zealand’s Lincoln University, Will’s grandfather used the then-novel concept of building a 13-kilometre channel constructed and surveyed by Will’s father, which uses gravity rather than a pump, to move up to 250 megalitres of water per day from the Clyde River around the land. Will’s grandfather and father always put efficiency first, focusing on designing systems that utilise the topography of the land to reduce energy usage. Today, 2,000 hectares of the Bowden’s property is irrigated.

“There’s no point pumping water up a hill if you don't have to,” says Will.

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Will, who now runs the farm with the help of his family and a wonderful team of employees, has kept the innovative spirit of his forefathers. Like his ancestors, who used the topography of their land to their best advantage, Will has used the existing features of the farm to conserve natural resources – as well as his own time and energy to provide bottom-line benefits to his business.

For example, part of the Bowden’s family farm is powered by an on-site hydroelectricity power which uses diverted water from the Clyde River via an irrigation lease.

Will has enhanced this natural advantage by automating the power station, through the farm communication network which is operated via telemetry WiFi and transmitted directly to Will’s phone. Automation of the power station means it can restart itself if the water inflows change and it loses pressure. Saving Will valuable time as he no longer has to manually re-start it himself.

Will also took automation a step further and electrified the irrigation system’s pumps and pivots, which used to be powered by diesel. Previously, Will had to drive around for up to three hours to adjust water inflows and outflows. Now, he controls it remotely with his phone.

Will explains that automation has created significant savings in time, wages and electricity costs, has reduced wear and tear on the farm’s vehicles and machinery, and reduced the financial and environmental costs of diesel.

By working smarter, Will can invest more in other sustainable practices for the farm. And his mental health has benefited too.

“I’m living to work rather than working to live,” he says.

Using data to invest wisely

ANZ, which has a long-standing relationship with the Bowden family, has worked with Will to finance his innovative ideas.

ANZ provided Will with a tailored banking solution by listening to what he wanted and understanding how to realise it.

Will found that the energy cost savings he expected to be generated by automation would enable him to repay the finance and reap the financial benefits of cheaper operations going forward.

“We worked out that it was a four-year payback, and it unlocked huge time and cost savings,” explains Will. “We're saving $135 a day for running the irrigators – and an irrigation season up here could be four to five months.”

Sustainability – the big picture

Making these energy-efficient changes required time, energy, and money. Will – a self-confessed tech-nerd – enjoyed the hours he’s invested, and they’ve clearly paid off.

Will points out: “There must be an element of sustainability to your business to be competitive.”

He adds: “Through efficiency you're gaining sustainability – because you're requiring less input, less labour, less time, less diesel and fewer costs for more production.”

Helping business put energy efficiency to work

By supporting innovation in businesses like Will’s, ANZ is helping them think about new solutions. The bank’s recent research paper co-authored with the EEC has found that all businesses can benefit from energy efficiency – from saving money on bills and reducing operating expenditure, to lowering emissions to meet net-zero targets, improving energy security and meeting customers’ growing environmental expectations.

Learn more

To learn more about how you can unlock the benefits of finding more efficient ways of using and managing energy in your business access the full report, Putting energy efficiency to work for businesses here.