Dairy Farm Energy Efficiency

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This curriculum module on Dairy Farm Energy Efficiency covers….

Link to all of the Northeast Farm Energy IQ Curriculum, developed by Extension specialists from Penn State, Rutgers and University of Vermont.

This is part of the Farm Energy Efficiency Curriculum Series: 

Farm Energy Efficiency Principles | Energy Audits | EE for Dairy Farms | EE for Greenhouses | EE for Fruit Production | EE for Field Crop Production | EE for Direct Market Farms

This module includes:

Step Controllers Optimize Greenhouse Energy Use

This is a four-step controller with a solar sensor shield and shielded shielded cable, suitable for greenhouse use.

A step controller is an advanced electronic device that controls conditions in a greenhouse better than a mechanical thermostat and can save money in the long run. It uses a solid-state integrated circuit to monitor environmental data in the greenhouse and create output signals that activate equipment based on a set of internal programmed instructions. The microprocessor is a simple, low-cost device …

Ventilation and Cooling Systems for Animal Housing


Table Of Contents

Introduction

Livestock production is significantly influenced by animal health and comfort. Ventilation of animal housing to remove moisture and odors and replacing them with fresh air is necessary for livestock productivity. Ventilation also provides air movement that promotes cooling and improves air quality for confined animals. While good ventilation contributes to profitability, if not properly designed, the energy used by a cooling and ventilation system can …

Farm Lighting Energy Efficiency Checklist and Tips

Mercury vapor yard light. Photo credit: Carl Pederson

Farm Lighting is part of a series of Efficiency Checklists and Topics that can help you to assess all areas of your farming operation for energy efficiency and find ideas to save energy and reduce costs. For links to other articles in the Efficiency Checklists and Topics series, see Additional Resources at the end of this article.

 

Farm Lighting

The design and management of a farm’s lighting system greatly affects its energy …

Refrigeration Systems for Milk Cooling

Bulk Milk Cooling Tank. Photo courtesy of Charriau,

Milk must be cooled from 98 degrees F. (37 degrees C.) to storage temperature, typically about 38 degrees F., to preserve its quality. The cooling process involves removing 56 BTUs of energy from each pound of milk (27 kilojoule per kg). Typically, a refrigeration system does this by using a special refrigerant fluid to remove heat from the milk and “reject” the heat (usually) into the outside air.

The basic refrigeration …

Livestock Buildings Energy Efficiency Checklist and Tips

Livestock Buildings is part of a series of Efficiency Checklists and Topics that can help you to assess all areas of your farming operation for energy efficiency and find ideas to save energy and reduce costs. For links to other articles in the Efficiency Checklists and Topics series, see Additional Resources at the end of this article.

 

Livestock Buildings

Confined livestock structures need ventilation to remove heat and moisture and maintain air quality. The amount of ventilation needed varies depending …

Home Energy Efficiency Checklist and Tips


Table Of Contents

 

Home Energy is part of a series of Efficiency Checklists and Topics that can help you to assess all areas of your farming operation for energy efficiency and find ideas to save energy and reduce costs. For links to other articles in the Efficiency Checklists and Topics series, see Additional Resources at the end of this article.

 

Farm Home

Farm Shop Energy Efficiency Checklist and Tips

Farm shop. Photo courtesy of Carl Pedersen

Farm Shop Energy is part of a series of Efficiency Checklists and Topics that can help you to assess all areas of your farming operation for energy efficiency and find ideas to save energy and reduce costs. For links to other articles in the Efficiency Checklists and Topics series, see Additional Resources at the end of this article.

The farm shop is often the second most used building during the winter next to …

Energy-Efficient Refrigeration for Farms

Agricultural producers use a variety of refrigeration systems to extend the shelf life of perishable materials. Cooling not only reduces the potential for spoiling due to bacterial growth but also reduces humidity levels for some products. Refrigeration may also be used during sorting, processing, packaging, and storage.

Fruit and vegetable farmers must cool many of their products quickly after harvest; removal of field heat is important to maintaining produce quality and shelf life.

This large refrigerated room is used to

Insulation Know-How

With volatile energy costs, a good return on investment may be obtained by adding insulation to homes, offices, farm shops and other heated buildings such as greenhouse headhouses or boiler rooms. Insulation can provide benefits in winter by keeping expensive heat in and in summer by keeping unwanted heat out.

Although all building materials have some insulation value, the term “insulation” usually refers to materials with a relatively high resistance to heat flow that are designed specifically for that purpose. …