Cutting costs with energy audits

For those that didn't catch the November issue of Dairy Today, Jim Dickrell's article "Kill the Kilowatts" is worth the read. Dickrell delved into the topic of energy audits: what they are, how to fund them, and how actual producers are benefiting after having had them. 

Bonus content from the article on dairytoday.com includes links to excellent resources and tools for producers interested in saving energy costs:

• NRCS Energy Estimator: Animal Housing
• Dairy Farm Energy Self-Assessment 
• Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy's SaveEnergy Finder

Also featured in the bonus content is a link to the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy's website and its list of eight energy-saving practices, courtesy of Efficiency Maine: 

1. Install variable speed drives on your milking machines.
2. Use water-cooled plate coolers to cool milk as it moves from the milking system to the bulk tank.
3. Consider newer scroll compressor systems for your milk cooling system.
4. Install a heat recovery system to pre-heat water using heat from your compressor.
5. Use high-volume, low-speed fans.
6. Select energy-efficient lights such as T8 fluorescent lamps or pulse start metal halide lights.
7. If you are considering long day lighting practices, using energy-efficient equipment is even more essential.
8. Put an economical equipment replacement plan in place.

Click on the source link below for more information on how an energy audit could help you cut your annual energy costs.

Source: Jim Dickrell. "Kill The Kilowatts." Dairy Today. November 2012: 8-12.