AAM is a large-scale, wholly Australian-owned operator and provider of strategic investment, asset management and operational management services to Australia’s agricultural industry.
Colby Phillips Advisory is a bespoke business management , engineering and marketing advisory firm, working with government, not-for profits and businesses in South Australia and interstate to plan, develop and realise their future ideas and visions.
Nominated project: South Australia's home-grown Energy Management Platform for agribusiness
Premier's Awards category: Innovation and collaboration (Energy sector)
AAMIG, working with Colby Phillips Advisory and other local South Australian companies, have developed a bespoke Energy Management Platform to help agribusiness maximise renewables and achieve zero nett emissions.
It can manage and optimise cost savings and revenues from investment in renewables. Developed at Riverlands Free Range Poultry 1.4 MW solar PV / 2.1 MWh battery project, the platform is being commercialised by AAMIG for other agribusinesses across Australia.
Using the platform has saved the poultry farm $600,000 per year in electricity costs, ensuring the solar/battery project met its target investment hurdle of IRR (unleveraged) approximately 12% pa.
The platform provides an off-the-shelf behind-the-meter (BTM) software solution which:
- manages multiple different types of generating assets (28×solar, 5×battery, 7×diesel gensets) across a wireless network and seven independently connected sites
- sits within a virtual embedded network
- trades electricity (export and import) on the spot market (including during negative pricing)
- meets SA Power Network’s stringent connection requirements (including export and import connection point power factor requirements)
This project and development of the Energy Management Platform was generously supported by a $1.4m grant from the South Australian government Energy Productivity Program.
Q&A with AAMIG and Colby Phillips Advisory
This project developed an innovative renewable energy management platform for a new 1.4 MW Solar PV / 2.1 MWh battery installation at SA largest free range poultry farm. It enabled the poultry farm to sell and buy electricity on the energy market and use a virtual National Meter Identifier (NMI) to ‘embed’ separate grid connections and share its solar PV generation from 28 solar inverters between 5 battery units and 42 farm sheds.
While this project developed an innovative energy management platform, its real story is how it was developed wholly in South Australia by local companies after a global search revealed no off-the-shelf software solutions, and future opportunity to commercialise it so other agribusinesses and industry can also use it to increase renewable energy uptake to help them towards nett zero emissions.
It just goes to show that South Australian companies can do anything they turn their mind to if we have the courage to innovate. We shouldn’t just have to look interstate or overseas for solutions.
To demonstrate and promote what local South Australian companies can do and contribute towards our future transition to renewable energy and encourage others to do the same.
The amazing wealth of talent and knowledge in local businesses that are already here in this state. You just need to look to find them.
There are amazing opportunities for our industry if, as a community, we look to our local businesses and are willing to invest in and work with them to develop innovative solutions to challenges we confront.
It is not always the immediate 'sugar-hit' or cheaper solution, but this foresight and local investment will shape the future economic success of our state.
We can be global industry leaders if we do this.
Southern Cross Poultry Fund was AAMIG’s first major agribusiness investment in South Australia. Since this time, we have acquired another poultry farm and a timber mill.
Key to our success is innovation in everything we do. This renewable energy management platform is an exemplar of our approach. It could not have been achieved without the local South Australian businesses that helped us.
We hope to commercialise it for the benefit of other agribusinesses and industry. [Even though based in Queensland, we like South Australian's, they think like we do.]
They help promote how local South Australian companies can be global leaders so others – in South Australia, across Australia, and internationally – can see and share in their success.
These Awards can unlock doors to new investment and markets and help local industry businesses grow and succeed even more.
When every other agribusiness companies said they wanted the energy platform after seeing how it saved the poultry farm money every day.
Courage to take a risk and innovate, looking local for solution providers, a ‘smart’ business approach to solving problems.
Smart, collaborative, and talented people and local businesses, just as good as anywhere else globally, that see no problem or challenge as insurmountable.
Don’t let anyone tell you it can’t be done or can’t be done better. [These people are probably not from South Australia!]
Keep up to date with AAMIG and Colby Phillips Advisory
Visit AAM Investment Group website: https://www.aamig.com.au
Visit Colby Phillips Advisory website: https://www.colbyphillips.com.au/
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