White Paper - Energy Efficiency
Farms use a great deal of energy. The energy is necessary for pumping water, controlling the temperature in barns and buildings, lighting, drying or curing, and other activities. The costs of this energy can be significant. Studies indicate energy costs account for about 6% of expenditures on the average farm. The relative costs are even higher for greenhouses, aquaculture, and raising livestock. The costs also vary regionally based on climate and the types of farming done. For instance, energy expenditures are about 8% of total costs for farmers in New York. See complete paper.
Links:
- Study of farm energy use in the U.S.
- Overviews of Energy Efficiency for Agriculture
- Lessons learned from energy efficiency projects on farms
- Overview of energy and energy efficiency for agriculture
- Solar water heating overview from the U.S. Department of Energy
- Solar water heating
- Solar space heating
- Transpired air heating
- Farms as energy producers
- Value added farming through energy production
- Is my facility a good candidate for CHP? By the EPA
- Biomass CHP project on a dairy