Lots of interest in dairy energy savings

WHEN dairy farmers open their power bills, they can be assured that most of the cost emanates from the milking shed.

With soaring power bills, a looming carbon tax and concerns about greenhouse emissions, many farmers are looking at ways to slash their bills and reduce their carbon footprint.

A public energy audit of Kerrie and Peter Collins' Fish Creek dairy on Thursday saw a good sized turnout of curious farmers looking for tips on how to cut their own power usage.

Gabriel Hakim from AgVet Projects, who conducted the audit, said being smaller than an average dairy, the Collins operation had smaller than average electricity inputs.

With power bills being only three to four percent of farm running costs, Mr Hakim said some farmers could be tempted to forget about the savings that can be made.

“It's a small percentage, but it's one of the easiest areas in which to make savings,” he said.

“When you are looking to reduce energy use, the dairy shed is the best place to do it.”

Mr Hakim said some farmers concentrated on getting better deals from electricity providers, rather than making significant and long lasting savings through changes to farming practices.

“People are focusing on reducing their energy bills through discounts, but its better to reduce bills through reducing usage.”

Changing to a cooler water source, using variable speed drives on pumps and installing dedicated pumps were two of the ways Mr Hakim said the Collins' could make immediate savings.

“There are constraints because they don't own the farm, but at the same time it's about opportunities,” he said.

“It's not just about making changes, it's about continually monitoring your usage.”

For Peter & Kerrie, the biggest energy user in the shed is heating hot water while the cooling of the costs the most.  Peter was surprised how little energy is used in lighting the shed.

Darold Klindworth form the Department of Primary Industries at Ellinbank also addressed the group.  Darold noted that the dollar figures and possibilities in energy & cost savings change from farm to farm.  Every farm has a unique set of conditions – different pumps, cooling systems & hot water services.  It is best to understand your system well and monitor all devices. 

As for renewable energy options such as solar and wind, careful research is required to ensure a cost effective outcome is obtained.  Often mistakes are made in the positioning and planning of these projects that result in poor outcomes.  With recent reductions in the government rebates for solar systems it is making these less cost effective.

Young Dairy Development Program Gippsland co-ordinator Kylie Barry said the level of interest in the day showed that dairy farmers are committed to cutting their carbon footprint.

“At YDDP we want to give farmers the opportunity to look at different ways of doing things – we want to challenge them to see if there is a better way to run their operations.”