6 May 2024
‘AEI SmartBox’ technology operates behind a farmer’s energy meter to intelligently integrate irrigation operations with energy cost parameters. It automates irrigation processes and cleverly orchestrates them to provide significant energy cost reduction, time and labour savings, and the capability to participate in the emerging energy marketplace.
‘AEI SmartBox’ technology operates behind a farmer’s energy meter to intelligently integrate irrigation operations with energy cost parameters. It automates irrigation processes and cleverly orchestrates them to provide significant energy cost reduction, time and labour savings, and the capability to participate in the emerging energy marketplace.
“Ultimately, at AEI we want to create a more sustainable energy grid. We came to the AgTech Seeds program to fast-track our business model development to the point where we can deliver our product out, to scale," Devon said.
With over 40 years of electrical and process control engineering experience, Stephen was able to understand the exact pressures being placed on out-dated grid infrastructure and the headaches being created for all players across the network and set about developing a smarter solution. Following detailed analysis of both the energy marketplace and customer cost dynamics, along with years of research and development, the AEI SmartBox technology was born.
The Soutars were introduced to the Rocket Seeder AgTech Seeds program through Kelly Wickham, Industry Development Coordinator (Energy), DEECA who suggested the pre accelerator program would help build AEI’s understanding of the Victorian dairy industry at a time when energy costs were having a major impact on dairy farming. Wilandra Farms was successful in receiving a grant from Agriculture Victoria with Kelly’s support for a smart farm energy assessment. After the energy assessment AEI developed a Renewable Energy Action Plan (REAP) which included installation of 200 kW of solar PV, optimisation of irrigation infrastructure and integration of AEI’s innovative and intelligent ‘AEI SmartBox’ system.
The SmartBox technology provides monitoring and automatic control of irrigation and pumping systems and can schedule their operation to coincide with on-site renewable energy generation. The SmartBox technology enables greater control over any energy
consuming technology or product and in some cases can halve the payback period of solar PV invested in on-farm. Energy costs for Wilandra Farms were cut from $80,000 per annum to $1,000 through the trial period.
Devon said the program was “very, very insightful” as it gave him the opportunity to establish his networks across the agriculture sector, meeting other startups and potential investors. Devon was introduced to Matthew Pryor who sold his startup Observant in 2014 to Jain in India, following a similar trajectory to AEI’s startup experience. Through this introduction Devon understood the importance of product market fit and market entry timing. Through the program, Devon understood the importance of communication his vision for AEI and bringing potential investors along on the journey. “Through the program, I realised investors want to buy into the founder’s journey and they are less interested in a perfect minimum viable product.”
The program allowed Devon and Stephen to leverage connections and progress their MVP, allowing for the development of the Gippsland 100 campaign. This campaign aims to have 100 dairy farms in Gippsland using the AEI Smart Box.
Follow AEI’s journey at https://www.aeiaus.com.au/ and Devon can be found on LinkedIn.
More information is available on the Wilandra Farm trial at
https://www.foodandfibregippsland.com.au/articles/5ibv65a86aqdc798k19cnm98w5mako.