Green pointe farms - case study
Improving Irrigation ROI
Through Efficient Pumping Solutions
Saving Energy, Water and Labor
When fourth-generation Othello, Wash., farmer AJ Ochoa decided to upgrade his irrigation and water pumping system, he turned to a team of professionals from Lindsay and its subsidiary Watertronics, to help design and install one of the most efficient and fully-integrated pump and center pivot water control packages in the world. The result: immediate energy, water and labor savings.
Ochoa converted nearly 1,000 acres (405 ha) of flood irrigated land to land irrigated by eight center pivots, all controlled from a single location and a new Watertronics agricultural pump station. Three 100 horsepower (101.38 metric hp) pumps are used to supply water to those eight pivots, including one located more than a mile away.
All of the pumps are located at a central pump station and equipped with Watertronics Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) and Electronic Butterfly Valves for maximum efficiency. The pivots are equipped with Lindsay’s FieldNETTM Web-based irrigation management system, which allows Ochoa to access a single online portal to monitor and control his entire pump and center pivot system. The advanced Lindsay/Watertronics controls are also available as an upgrade to any existing pivot or pump station.
The Ochoa family, including AJ, his father and grandfather, have worked closely for years with Lindsay’s local Zimmatic dealer, Irrigation Specialists of Othello, Wash., for their irrigation needs. When AJ Ochoa decided to upgrade his irrigation and water pumping station, he turned once again to Irrigation Specialists for assistance.
Challenge
AJ Ochoa wanted to upgrade his flood irrigation to center pivot irrigation and add a new pump to draw water from canals and groundwater sources. Ochoa originally considered installing a 250-horsepower (253.5 metric hp) pump to supply water to his eight new center pivots. He turned to Lindsay for recommendations on a simple, yet high-tech system to maximize his energy, water and labor savings.
Solution
An integrated team of center pivot and water pump specialists from Lindsay and Watertronics worked with Ochoa to design a fully-integrated pump and center pivot water control package.
Lindsay provided him with a custom turnkey irrigation solution, mapping out his fields, routes for water and electrical lines, and locations for the pivots. Lindsay prepared detailed estimates on projected energy, water and labor savings. The project required removal of old water canals, dikes and berms, new water and electrical lines, installation of the eight pivots, and engineering and set-up of the Watertronics pump station and control technology.
The Watertronics pump station was equipped with Variable Frequency Drive and Watertronics’ patented Electronic Butterfly Valves for maximum efficiency.
Instead of a single, large horsepower pump, Lindsay recommended Ochoa install three 100 horsepower (101.38 metric hp) pumps for variable demand needs and more efficient start-up. This recommendation was based on the ability to dynamically sequence the motors on the three pumps, which provides consistent water delivery and saves energy.
His pump station was pre-engineered and factory-tested prior to shipment. After arriving at Ochoa’s farm, the Watertronics pump station was set into place, hooked up, and fully operational the same day. The entire system was installed in a few hours compared to what would normally take weeks if the pump station had to be assembled in the field.
Results
The Watertronics pump station provided immediate and substantial reductions in energy, water and labor costs, according to Ochoa.
“The control station and pumps are extremely efficient. If I have only one pivot running, the station will pump only enough water and use only enough energy to supply that one pivot. If two or more pivots are running, the Watertronics system will turn on additional pumps automatically to meet demand,” he says.
The result was a fully-integrated pump and center pivot water control package designed specifically for Ochoa’s needs and local field conditions. The Lindsay/Watertronicsdesigned system is saving Ochoa energy, water and labor (see ROI summary).
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