| | So how much can producers save? The short answer is, "a heck of a lot," says Jason Price, an Agriculture and Rural Development Project Manager working on the OnFarm Energy Efficiency Program.
"You don’t need a gaping hole in the wall to have an energy efficiency problem," says Price. "Most operations look relatively efficient, but when you start to look at the details, it doesn’t take long to see lots of room for improvement."
Fellow Project Manager Darryl Slingerland of the AgTech Centre agrees: "Advances in lighting and equipment alone have changed dramatically. If your operation is more than a few years old, chances are there are major improvements you can make that mean big savings. Even new operations can make substantial improvements."
The following charts and tables offer a sample of energy use and saving opportunities for typical dairy, swine and poultry operations. Every operation is unique so it’s important producers get their own assessment done, but these examples provide an idea of the type of savings that can be realized.
1Emissions reductions are decreases in air pollutants including greenhouse gases, hydrocarbons, particulate matter and volatile organic compounds. One tonne equals about 556 cubic metres of carbon dioxide.
The current pilot version of the OnFarm Energy Efficiency Program is just one element of a broad approach that Agriculture and Rural Development’s Agriculture Stewardship Division, which includes the AgTech Centre, has undertaken to support the agriculture industry with new energy saving solutions, says Rick Atkins of the AgTech Centre.
Key initiatives underway and on the horizon include:
- Completing 100 subsidized assessments under the current OnFarm Efficiency Program pilot project, for dairy, swine and poultry operations in the SouthGrow region.
- Expanding the program to address irrigation and beef feedlot operation needs.
- Establishing a regional network to provide equipment, supplies, services and financing required for long-term uptake of energy efficiency improvements on farms.
- Offering the program to more areas of the province.
- Continuing to build on efforts to evaluate energy-saving technologies and approaches.
- Expanding efforts to provide consulting services on energy efficiency to producers, as well as consulting and testing services to manufacturers and entrepreneurs.
- Strengthening focus on alternative energy options.
- Continuing to blend solutions that address both agriculture’s energy footprint and environmental footprint.
"As an Agriculture Stewardship Division, one of our key focuses will be looking at the technologies and knowledge that are emerging in the area of energy, and providing services to help the industry understand what these innovations mean to them and what kind of payback they may expect," says Atkins. "This includes working directly with some of the innovators to help develop and commercialize their ideas."
Top five hidden energy eaters
- Maintenance and cleanliness
- Water heating
- Electric motors
- Insulation levels and heat loss
- Ventilation fans and heat loss
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