Electrical energy efficiency on United States farms covers the use of
electricity
Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as describ ...
on
farm
A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used ...
s and the methods and incentives for improving the
efficiency of that use.
U.S. farms have almost doubled their average energy efficiency over the past 25 years.
Usage
Energy costs represent between 2% (at cattle feed lots) and 9% (for grain farming, due partly to grain drying) of farm production costs.
Use on dairy farms
In 2006 there were about 65,000
dairy farms in the United States, although most had fewer than 200 cows. One "resource auditor" believes it is possible for dairy farms to reach an energy usage of as low as 200 kWhr per cow per year although an analysis of California dairy farms found that 300 kWhr/year was the lowest actually attained.
[Dairy Farm Energy Management Guide](_blank)
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One study found the following electrical usages on New York dairy farms:
*Milk cooling – 23%
*Ventilation – 21%
*Vacuum pumps – 18%
*Lighting – 17%
*Electrical water heating – 10%
*Feeding equipment – 7%
Another study found highly similar results.
Regulations
Hitherto almost entirely unregulated (except for zoning ordinances and the effects of property tax
A property tax or millage rate is an ad valorem tax on the value of a property.In the OECD classification scheme, tax on property includes "taxes on immovable property or net wealth, taxes on the change of ownership of property through inher ...
es), environmental concerns are now beginning to impose restrictions on farms.
How renewable energy projects may be implemented and also on what rate of return electricity producers can obtain from utilities are key current topics. Acts such as Wisconsin's ''Clean Energy Jobs Act'' (only proposed as of April, 2010) are controversial among farmers for these reasons. Canada's Green Energy Act 2009 implemented similar kinds of regulations.
Contrarily, carbon offset
A carbon offset is a reduction or removal of emissions of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases made in order to compensate for emissions made elsewhere. Offsets are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e). One ton of carbon ...
s may soon offer farmers additional incentives to increase energy use efficiency. However, at least one proposed cap and trade process would raise farmers' costs by up to $1.19 (USD) per acre.
Corporate Average Fuel Economy Fuel standards too (such as in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007Pub.L. 110-140, originally named the Clean Energy Act of 2007, is an Act of Congress concerning the energy policy of the United States. As part of the Democratic Party's 100-Hour Plan during th ...
) are controversial, as biofuels are now a significant portion of farm income.
Efficiency increases
Increased efficiency in farm usage of electricity is being driven by Greening as well as by economics
Economics () is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.
Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics analy ...
.
"The biggest users of electrical power are heat, light and motors. ... A recent study found that a 3-hp energy efficient compressor used over 42 percent fewer kilowatt-hours (kWhr) than a 3-hp conventional compressor."
Two prime areas for efficiency improvements are implementing the use of heat recovery systems and variable speed drives
Motor drive means a system that includes a motor. An adjustable speed motor drive means a system that includes a motor that has multiple operating speeds. A variable speed motor drive is a system that includes a motor and is continuously variabl ...
. One organization postulated a three-year plan for farms to use energy better.
Crop rotation
Simply including years of either clover or alfalfa into the cycle of grain crops can yield savings without reducing total crop yields.
Farm energy audits
Farms sometimes use accredited "resource auditors" to analyze their operations and recommend improved efficiencies, typically at costs exceeding $1,000 per audit. However, typical full repayment of an audit's cost could be around six years. Also, a Certified Farm Energy Audit may be required for participation in state or federal energy efficiency programs.
An audit of 20 farms in Cumbria showed savings could be made in all areas examined.
An example of a farm energy audit in Maine is at the following reference. Maryland has a statewide program entitled ''EnSave''.
Energy calculators
Recently a number of "energy calculators" have become available, addressing one or more aspects of farm energy usage. New calculators are being developed under government and utility grants, such as one in Oregon.
Dairy farm efficiency improvements
Some improvements are specific to dairy farms, such as using supplemental lighting with energy efficient lamps (which can increase milk production 5 to 16 percent) or relieving heat stress with a combination of sprinklers and fans to increase the cooling effect and improve energy use. California compiled a "Complete Guide" to dairy farm efficiency improvements.
Cow manure to electrical generation
Norswiss Farms of Rice Lake, Wisconsin, an 1100-cow dairy farm, expects to save over $70,000 per year (plus income from electricity sales) from its installation of an 848 kW Combined Heat and Power
Cogeneration or combined heat and power (CHP) is the use of a heat engine or power station to generate electricity and useful heat at the same time.
Cogeneration is a more efficient use of fuel or heat, because otherwise- wasted heat from elec ...
(CHP) system operating on anaerobic digesters gas from cow manure. The electricity generated is sold to the grid. A similar installation in 2004 on a 270 cow farm in California (one of five in the state at that time) powered a 75 kW generator.
Central Vermont Public Service has a "Cow Power" program using methane-fueled electricity from Vermont farms.
Government and utility incentives
U.S. utilities allocated $5.3 billion to energy efficiency programs in 2009.
Government and utility incentives can be beneficial to those entities as well. "It may be less expensive for governments to encourage efficiency and renewable energy options n order to
N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''.
History
...
/nowiki> delay or negate the need to upgrade and modernize rural grid infrastructure."
See also
* Agriculture#Energy and agriculture
*Energy efficiency in agriculture
European Commission definitions
Energy in general
European Commission definitions of energy efficiency, are given below:
* Energy efficiency: a ratio between an output of performance, service, goods or energy, and an input of energy;
* Energy ...
*Feed-in tariff
A feed-in tariff (FIT, FiT, standard offer contract,Couture, T., Cory, K., Kreycik, C., Williams, E., (2010)Policymaker's Guide to Feed-in Tariff Policy Design National Renewable Energy Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy advanced renewable tariff, ...
*Good Agricultural Practice
Good agricultural practice (GAP) is a certification system for agriculture, specifying procedures (and attendant documentation) that must be implemented to create food for consumers or further processing that is safe and wholesome, using sustaina ...
*List of sustainable agriculture topics
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to sustainable agriculture:
Sustainable agriculture – applied science that integrates three main goals, environmental health, economic profitability, and social and econ ...
*National Institute of Food and Agriculture
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is a U.S. federal government body whose creation was mandated in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008. Its purpose is to consolidate all federally funded agricultural research, ...
*Timeline of agriculture and food technology
Paleolithic
* 30,600 BC – Pestle used as a tool in southern Italy to grind oats.
Neolithic Revolution
* 8,500 BC – Neolithic Revolution, the first agricultural revolution, begins in the ancient Near East
* 8,000 BC – domesticated wheat at P ...
*Post-harvest losses (Fruit and vegetables)
Post-harvest losses of vegetables and fruit occur at all points in the value chain from production in the field to the food being placed on a plate for consumption. Post-harvest activities include harvesting, handling, storage, processing, pack ...
*Post-harvest losses (Grains)
Grains may be lost in the pre-harvest, harvest, and post-harvest stages. Pre-harvest losses occur before the process of harvesting begins, and may be due to insects, weeds, and rusts. Harvest losses occur between the beginning and completion of ...
*Agricultural & Applied Economics Association
The Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) is a not-for-profit professional association for those interested in the field of agricultural and applied economics. The AAEA association has an annual meeting every year.
It publishes two ...
* American Journal of Agricultural Economics
*Rural economics
Rural economics is the study of rural economies. Rural economies include both agricultural and non-agricultural industries, so rural economics has broader concerns than agricultural economics which focus more on food systems. Rural developme ...
*Energy conservation
Energy conservation is the effort to reduce wasteful energy consumption by using fewer energy services. This can be done by using energy more effectively (using less energy for continuous service) or changing one's behavior to use less service (f ...
* Outline of energy
*Sustainable energy
Energy is sustainable if it "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". Most definitions of sustainable energy include considerations of environmental aspects such as green ...
References
External links
National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service (ATTRA)
home page
Farm Energy Alternatives (ATTRA)Alternative Farming Systems Information Center (AFSIC)
a USDA
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...
National Agricultural Library webpage
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
home page
Integration of Renewable Energy on FarmsEnergy SavingsManure Use for Fertilizer and for Energy: Report to CongressRISE, a Tool for Holistic Sustainability Assessment at the Farm LevelEfficiency VermontEfficiency MaineTexas EfficiencyDairy Farm Crisis 2009
As need returns, so do farm crisis hotlines (AgriWellness)FarmEnergy.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Efficient Energy Use
Electric power in the United States
Agriculture in the United States