Research project improves renewable electric energy on dairy farms
The goal is to raise renewable electric energy generation on dairy farms by establishing a “net-zero” energy milking parlor.
The typical dairy uses a large amount of energy, especially during milking. This stems from milking frequency, cooling milk and cleaning equipment with hot water. Renewable energy systems generally become more economically efficient as energy demands rise, making farms a great place to incorporate renewable energy.
However, dairy farms have not typically been set up with energy efficiency in mind, and often use relatively expensive fuel sources like heating oil or propane to heat water. One of the difficulties with renewable energy systems is the intermittent generation of wind and solar energy, whereas the energy load on a dairy farm is very consistent since cows are milked two or three times every day.