Facsa The Vila-real City Council, in collaboration with the Vila-real Irrigation Syndicate, organized a conference on water and energy efficiency in agriculture at the Rafael Beltrán Monerha Musician Auditorium in Vila-real, which was attended by more than 50 people.
Following a welcome address by Rafael Ferrer, Facsa's area coordinator, the meeting featured three speakers specializing in the subject: Enrique Cabrera, Professor of Fluid Mechanics at the Polytechnic University of Valencia; Sergio Usó, an engineer from the Vila-real Irrigation Syndicate; and the Deputy Director of the Supply Area of Facsa, Miguel Ortiz.
During his presentation, Ortiz showed examples of energy efficiency in the supply of drinking water that can be applied to the agricultural sector to be more efficient since, at the moment, the price of energy is very high and is affecting the entire production chain.
Furthermore, he explored a tool developed by Facsa, Energos, which, using input data (kilowatts, m3), allows the installation to be rated with a letter grade, similar to how household appliances are rated. This solution makes it possible to analyze areas for improvement and identify which parts of the installation are suitable for enhancement.
In this regard, Usó presented the success story of the Vila-real Risk Management Syndicate and its future plan, outlining the intention to reduce energy consumption in kilowatts per cubic meter from the current 0.31 to 0.20. This would represent a 35% reduction in the electrical power required to distribute each 1,000 liters of water in the irrigation system. Cabrera, for his part, took stock of the past, present, and future, describing it as "a brilliant past, a very weak present, and an uncertain future." He emphasized that, in his opinion, "educating the public" is a priority.
Following the presentations, a round table discussion took place, featuring Susana Pérez, a member of the board of directors of the Castellón Irrigation Union. She led a discussion highlighting the need for measurement and diagnosis to improve the efficiency of irrigation wells, the development of new alternative energy sources to address the cost of electricity, and the importance of prior optimization of existing facilities.
