Agricultural Sector - Electricity Saving Tips
First steps to reduce farm electricity costs
With the average annual Ontario farm electricity bill at $4,000, and at some farms exceeding $40,000, Ontario farmers want their energy dollars to go as far as possible.
Energy efficiency and conservation are the best responses to rising energy costs.
An audit of swine, poultry, dairy and greenhouse operations, sponsored by the Ontario Power Authority, identified over $2,000 in average annual savings per farm that could be saved by effective energy management and technology improvements.
The study found that lighting and fans (exhaust and re-circulation) together accounted for more than 80 percent of the identified savings. Depending on the specific conditions at individual farms, savings ranged from five to 80 percent.
It found that almost all the audited farms could benefit from improvements in lighting efficiency, with an average potential savings of $1,520 per farm.
For today’s energy-efficient farm, fluorescent lighting is the recommended main lighting source. By converting from incandescent to fluorescent lighting, your electricity cost can be reduced by up to 75 percent. Specific energy-efficiency measures include:
- upgrading to energy-efficient, high-intensity discharge lighting, e.g., fluorescent T8s
- installing photocell sensors and timers and automatic dimmers on barn lights, which will increase cost savings
- using a timer on water heaters to set the right temperature only when it is needed
- using a timer on tractor engine block heaters during the winter to ensure that the engine coolant is completely preheated when you want to use the tractor – but not unnecessarily for as much as 16 hours before then (a 1,000-watt block heater uses one kilowatt-hour every hour it runs – it’s surprising how much it costs to operate these heaters excessively)
- using an engine block heater for your standby generator that has a thermostat so you don’t waste electricity and money overheating the engine coolant during summer – and don’t have to worry about whether or not you remembered to turn a manual block heater back on as the colder fall weather sets in. A simple thermostat control will manage that for you.
- cleaning ventilation fans, which will lower electricity costs and improve air quality in the barn.
- maximizing natural ventilation in livestock barns wherever possible to cut energy cost – conversion to natural ventilation may save as much as 50 percent of electricity costs.
- replacing electric heat lamps in swine operations with electrical or hot water pads as the primary creep heat source, which may save as much as 60 percent a year on creep heat energy expenses. Energy-efficient heat lamps can be used to dry off piglets. High temperature cut-out controls for creep areas also save money and prevent overheating, which can be detrimental to animal productivity.
- using energy-efficient water bowls and milk heat reclaimers in dairy operations, which can significantly reduce electricity usage.
For more energy savings tips and incentives www.omafra.gov.on.ca