Industries
Manufacturing
Energy strategy for Australian manufacturers: market-timed procurement, tariff work, solar and net-zero roadmaps that cut cost per unit.
>$15m
savings delivered for a large agricultural manufacturer through an on-site solar solution
35%
scope 2 emissions reduction for a large agricultural manufacturer
23%
cost increase avoided for a regional food processor by going to market early
For many manufacturers, energy is the largest cost outside payroll.
The challenges
Exposure to market volatility. Wholesale spot prices swung roughly threefold within 2025 alone. A badly timed renewal flows straight into cost of goods: one regional food processor was facing a 23% increase before we took them to market early.
Demand, network and tariff complexity. Peak demand charges, network tariff assignment and power factor are routinely wrong or unoptimised, and quietly expensive.
Costs are hard to pass on. When manufacturers were surveyed during the 2022 price shock, most reported significant negative effects from rising energy prices and only about one in six could substantively pass the costs on. The rest came out of margin.
Capital competes with production. Solar and efficiency stack up on paper, but capital is committed to plant and production. Funding structure matters as much as the technology.
How Utilizer supports manufacturers
- Strategic procurement. Full-market tenders across tier-one retailers, including high-voltage and industrial supply, timed against wholesale conditions, as we did to shield a food processor from a 23% cost increase. We manage significant portfolio spends on an ongoing basis across heavy industry and food manufacturing.
- Site and operational analytics. Demand analysis, network tariff work and invoice validation, plus site-level analytics that help operational teams understand the energy efficiency of each site relative to its production, through the Empower Portal.
- Solar and battery projects. Large behind-the-meter programs, including systems on single sites, with battery storage, sized to your load profile and structured to protect capital, from power purchase agreements to owned assets.
- Advisory and net-zero strategy. A practical transition to renewables, with roadmaps that sequence procurement, efficiency and generation so emissions targets and cost targets pull in the same direction.
Client outcomes · manufacturing
Integrated energy strategy cuts costs and reduces emissions for large agricultural manufacturer
On-site solar delivered more than $15m in savings for a large agricultural manufacturer and cut the site’s scope 2 emissions by 35%. On the procurement side, going to market early shielded a regional food processor from a 23% cost increase. Different levers, same discipline: the load shape and the market timing decide the move.
Read the case study35%Scope 2 emissions cut
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Our site and operational analytics relate each site's energy consumption to its output, so operational teams can see which sites and lines are efficient and which are costing margin.
It changes the opportunities. High-voltage and industrial sites have more tariff, demand and contract structures to work with, and it's where our reviews typically find the most value.
Often, yes. We structure large behind-the-meter solar and battery projects around your load profile and capital position, from power purchase agreements through to owned assets.
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- 1300 501 000
- support@utilizer.com.au
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