Dairy farm energy audit uncovers £4,000 savings
© Tim Scrivener A Pembrokeshire dairy farm has identified potential electricity savings worth more than £4,000/year after an audit of its energy use.
Derrick and Delana Davies, who milk 200 cows at Tierson Farm, near Tiers Cross, commissioned the assessment to see where energy was being wasted and how to reduce costs.
See also: How milk source heat pumps have slashed dairy’s energy bills
The audit, funded through the Welsh government’s Farming Connect advisory service, was carried out by NFU Energy auditor Roger Stones.
It identified more than 16,000kWh of avoidable annual energy use, with potential savings exceeding £4,000.
Quick potential savings
Recommendations ranged from no- and low-cost measures to investment in cooling, heating and mechanical equipment.
Among the quickest potential savings was fitting variable-speed drives to vacuum pumps in the milking parlour.
Vacuum pumps can be major electricity users on dairy farms, while variable-speed technology allows equipment to operate according to demand rather than continuously at full capacity.
The assessment also considered opportunities to improve milk cooling efficiency and make greater use of electricity generated by the farm’s solar panels, reducing reliance on grid-imported power.
Advice was provided on the farm’s electricity contract too, and the business has since changed energy supplier.
Mr Davies said: “It was very helpful to have an independent assessment and understand how to better control energy costs.”
He added that the audit gave them a better understanding of where energy was being used across the farm.
Future support
Farming Connect is encouraging other farm businesses to examine their energy consumption and will run one-to-one surgeries this autumn for registered farmers seeking specialist advice on energy efficiency and renewable generation.
Support is also available through its mentoring and e-learning services.
The programme offers carbon footprint assessments through NFU Energy, helping farms calculate emissions and identify areas where they can improve efficiency.
