Irrigation as if People

Mattered:
Energy Conservation
Lessons from Montana
Mike Morris, Ph.D.
Energy Program Project Leader
National Center for Appropriate Technology
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About
NCAT

National non-profit organization, founded in 1976.

Main offices: Butte, MT, Fayetteville, AR, Davis,
CA
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This talk
will

Describe how Montana irrigators use

energy.
Offer lessons learned from five

Main
Conclusions

Irrigation efficiency is not just a technical

problem, but has intrinsic human and social
dimensions.
Irrigators welcome energy conservation but
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Montana Climate and

Crops

10-20 rain and 100-150 frost-free

days in most areas.
Top five crops by cash receipts:
wheat, barley, sugar beets, hay,
potatoes.
Half of irrigated acreage is hay, of

Irrigation
Only 5% ofMethods
farmland (2 million acres) is
irrigated.
Of irrigated acreage, only 1/3 is sprinklerirrigated.
Half of sprinkler-irrigated acreage under
pivots.

Water
Availability

Most irrigators pay nothing for water.

Chronic water shortages the rule, not the
exception.
Water law limits opportunities for
conservation.

Energy
Costs

Electric rates low by national standards, but

sharp increases in recent years.
Average $14.68 - $23.41 per pump-irrigated
acre.
NorthWestern Energy 2003-4 irrigation

2002 Crop Values per

Acre

Potatoes$2,928
$856
Alfalfa hay$315
All hay
$278
Wheat
$190

Sugar beets
Corn
Barley
Oats

$296
$193
$151

Average Irrigation Energy Cost

as a Percentage of Crop Value
Potatoes 0.7%
2.7%
Alfalfa hay7.4%
7.9%
All hay 8.4%
Wheat 12.3%

Sugar beets
Corn
Barley
Oats

Its the crop,

12.1%
15.5%

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Labor Cost and

Availability
Average pivot irrigation project cost
$67,264, with energy savings of $1,27111

Five Approaches to Energy

Conservation
1.
Energy Audits

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NCAT
Experience
Over 400 irrigation
energy audits since
1988.
Currently offering no-cost energy audits to
NorthWestern Energy irrigation customers.
Measure pressure, flow rate, electrical
power output; calculate pumping plant
efficiency.
Customer receives report with
recommendations, payback, power bill
analysis, incentive offers.

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Most Common EnergySaving Recommendations

from Audits

Replace worn nozzles

Repair leaks

Correct motor overloading problems

Rebuild pump and/or motor
Replace pump and/or motor
Correct discharge problems
Correct suction problems
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Lessons Learned
Audits are highly appreciated,
sometimes desperately needed.
Labor intensive (average cost $672 per
audit).
Only about half of participants
completed recommended improvements
within 1 year.
Equipment improvements do not
necessarily lead to energy savings.
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2. Direct Financial
Incentives

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NCAT Experience
Administering cost-sharing program for
NorthWestern Energy irrigation customers.
Most common customer project proposals in 2003:
Replace hand or wheel lines with pivots (15)
Replace high-pressure pivot w/low-pressure (8)
Use gravity to reduce horsepower requirements
(3)
Replace oversized or inefficient pumps (2)
Install variable frequency drives (2)
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Lessons Learned
Dollar for dollar, direct incentives save
more energy than audits.
Evaluation criteria need to be carefully
designed for consistency and fairness.
Working closely with local equipment
dealers a key to success.
Gravity conversion is probably the biggest
energy conservation opportunity remaining
in Montanas irrigation sector.
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3. Soil Moisture
Monitoring

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The M. K. Hansen AM400 Soil Moisture Data

Logger

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NCAT has helped install over 120

soil moisture monitoring systems
since 2000.

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Lessons Learned
Pivot systems offer the best opportunities
for conservation through improved
management.
Poor management is common, but gross
overwatering is less frequent than
expected. Only 3-6 of 43 study fields
clearly exceeded annual alfalfa water
requirements.
Better water management should be
promoted primarily in terms of crop yield
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4. Educational
In 2003
NCAT revised and reprinted the
Publications
Montana Irrigators Pocket Guide.

NCAT has contracted with NRCS to

produce a national edition.

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5. Collaboration with Local Watershed

Groups

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NCAT Experience
Working with local groups in river valleys with
chronic water shortages: Big Hole, Blackfoot ,
Boulder, Jefferson, Ruby, and Shields.
Goal is to help each group organize and run its
own irrigation efficiency program.

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Lessons Learned
Learning in rural communities takes place
by imitation and word of mouth.
Groups vary widely.
Progress on irrigation management is most
likely to come from locally-based projects
that enable irrigators to experiment on their
own and learn from each other.
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For More Information

NCAT: www.ncat.org 1-800-ASK-NCAT
National Sustainable Agriculture Information
Service: www.attra.ncat.org 1-800-3469140

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