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.
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
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 …
Many energy conservation and efficiency strategies can be applied to dairy, livestock and poultry production to save money and reduce fuel consumption. These include energy-efficient building design, and better management of ventilation and cooling of buildings.
Use of efficient systems for vacuum pumps, cooling milk and heating water can save money on dairy farms. Most farms can find savings by replacing incandescent lighting with high efficiency fluorescent lighting, and may also save by upgrading livestock water fountains to energy-free …
Livestock Watering Systems is part of a series of Efficiency Checklists and Topics that can help you assess your farming operation for energy efficiency and identify strategies 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.
A dependable supply of drinking water is essential in any livestock production …
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 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.
Confined livestock structures need ventilation to remove heat and moisture and maintain air quality. The amount of ventilation needed varies depending …
