Online tool compares energy efficiency of dairy sheds

Dairy farmers could save $42 million through electricity efficiency measures in the dairy shed, and now an online tool is available that gives individual farmers an idea of how well they are making use of the electricity they pay for.

EECA BUSINESS has launched the Dairy Farm Energy Efficiency tool, which compares a dairy farms electricity use to other dairy farms in New Zealand, and to best practice.

The average New Zealand dairy farm spends over $20,000 a year on electricity, but dairy sheds vary a lot in how efficiently they use their electricity, says Kirk Archibald, EECA projects and relationship manager.

"Some dairy farms are using three times as much electricity as others for the same milk-solids production."

Overall, dairy farmers could save $42 million a year through cost effective technologies and simple actions.

"The Dairy Farm Energy Efficiency tool is designed to help dairy farmers see if they are missing out on making significant savings.

"By answering a few simple questions, you can map your energy use against 150 dairy farms across New Zealand. You can find out how you compare against others, and the improvements that would make a difference in your milking shed," Kirk Archibald said.

Overall, New Zealands 12,000 dairy farms use $251 million worth of electricity, or 7% of New Zealands total electricity use. It is estimated that electricity contributes 15c to the cost of every kilogram of milk solids produced.

Interim results from a programme run by EECA show dairy sheds have reduced electricity use by around a fifth after installing heat recovery equipment.

Energy data collected from 15 farms shows that energy efficiency upgrades have reduced electricity use by 21% overall, meaning projects will have paid for themselves in under 3 years on average.

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Online tool compares energy efficiency of dairy sheds