Agriculture and horticulture 

Dairy

Energy costs account for 15% of most dairy farms’ variable costs. This energy is mainly used in: field operations, milk cooling, vacuum pumping, water heating, lighting and waste.

Dairy farms can save energy by making sure they are using the right equipment to address issues such as:

• Milk cooling
  High efficiency systems use new refrigerants and scroll compressors

• Water heating
  Using heat recovery and solar power will cut costs

• Electric motors
  Variable speed drives will reduce the amount of energy you use.

As well as using the right equipment, it’s also important for farmers to make sure existing equipment is properly used and maintained.

• Refrigeration
  For heating purposes, consider replacing tungsten light bulbs and old type fluorescent tubular lamps with high pressure discharge lamps (such as sodium or mercury halide) or high efficiency fluorescent fittings.

• Vacuum pumping
  Using a variable speed lobe pump linked to an air pressure transducer can cut running costs by 50% per cow per year. This measure can pay for itself in 3 – 5 years.

For more information -
Dairy Farming fact sheet (CTL013)
Case study: Interest-free loans for heat recovery save dairy farmers 60% on energy (CTS188)

Cereals

The UK produces 19,000,000 tonnes of cereals every year – with most of the energy being used in the form of the diesel that powers equipment in the field. Ways to save on energy cereal in cereal production include:

The UK produces 19,000,000 tonnes of cereals every year – with most of the energy being used in the form of the diesel that powers equipment in the field. Ways to save on energy cereal in cereal production include:

• Heating, drying and ventilation
  Good quality humidity control for fans and heaters (when calibrated each year before harvest) will save you money. A £1,200 investment would pay for itself in about 3 - 5 years.
  
  Use continuous flow sensing for high temperature driers in order to avoid over-drying. The control will sense grain moisture and adjust the dryer speed accordingly. 0.5% of over-drying can add 10% to drying costs. A £4,000 investment would pay for itself in about 3 - 5 years.

• Conveyor systems
  Augers and belt conveyors use far less energy than pneumatic conveying systems.

• In-field operations
  Looking after set up parameters such as ballasting and tyre pressures can produce significant savings.

As well as using the right equipment it’s important for farmers to understand and measure where their energy is going. This involves measuring energy consumption and comparing with best practice benchmarks wherever possible.

For more information -
Cereal Farming fact sheet (CTL014)

Find out more about energy measurement and monitoring.

Poultry meat

With most UK-produced meat birds being reared indoors, there is a cyclical requirement over a six to 15 week period for heating as the chicks brood, and then for cooling as the birds grow. These requirements, together with lighting and feeding, drive the bulk of the energy use in poultry meat production.

Energy savings and carbon emission reductions can be found in most areas, for example improving the insulation in structures, sealing buildings better during brooding, improved control of heating and ventilation and the use of high efficiency lighting.

• Save heat
  During brooding, it’s important to make sure that buildings don’t lose heat. You can do this by paying attention to sealing – for example: ventilation shutters and access doors need to be effectively sealed.

• Lighting
  Use high frequency fluorescent lighting. As well as reducing running costs by as much as 70%, these lights reduce the flicker that can alarm stock. Some designs allow stable dimming, which can be used to provide effective dawn/dusk simulation.

As well as using the right equipment it’s important for farmers to understand and measure where their energy is going. This involves measuring energy consumption and comparing with best practice benchmarks wherever possible.

For more information -
Poultry meat production fact sheet.

Find out more about energy measurement and monitoring.

Pigs

With 24/7 requirements for light, heat and ventilation the 4.7 million-head UK pig industry is a very intensive user of energy.

Luckily, there are lost of simple ways to reduce your energy costs – and with almost constant usage, even small improvements can yield quick paybacks.

• Ventilation
  Gse controls for ventilation so that ventilation rates are optimised. Over-ventilation during winter will increase heating costs dramatically. Use continuous flow sensing for high temperature driers in order to avoid over-drying. The control will sense grain moisture and adjust the dryer speed accordingly. 0.5% of over-drying can add 10% to drying costs. A £4,000 investment would pay for itself in about 3 - 5 years.

• Heating
  Use thermostatic ‘creep’ controls for farrowing rooms. This will reduce energy consumption and improve the conditions for pig stock. This can save 50% over open creep heating with manual control. Costs are around £800 per room, with a 1-2 year payback period.

• Insulation
  Save heat by insulating enclosures with at least 75mm of extruded polystyrene or equivalent. Check existing insulation regularly for damage.

As well as using the right equipment it’s important for farmers to understand and measure where their energy is going. This involves measuring energy consumption and comparing with best practice benchmarks wherever possible.

For more information -
Energy Use in Pig Farming (ECG089)
Case study: Zero per cent loans help to keep piglets warm efficiently (CTS186)

Learn about energy measurement and monitoring here.

Protected horticulture

Greenhouses are big users of energy, consuming over 5.2GWh/year in the UK, mostly in the form of heat for maintaining optimum temperatures for plant growth.

The main areas where you can make energy savings are:

• Thermal screens
  Fit thermal screens where possible. These are used in glasshouses to prevent energy being lost and can reduce energy consumption by up to 30%. Polythene or bubble wrap can be used as a temporary, low-cost alternative.

• Boiler maintenance
  ake sure your boiler is regularly services. Poorly set-up or maintained boilers can increase consumption by around 10%. Boiler efficiency must be checked using flue gas analysis and heat transfer surfaces cleaned.

• Heating controls
  Good heating controls will save you money. Make sure you regularly clean the measuring boxes and sensors , and that they are placed carefully in respect to crop requirements. 10C error in temperature measurements can increase running costs by 7.5%.

As well as using the right equipment it’s important for growers to understand and measure where their energy is going. This involves measuring energy consumption and comparing with best practice benchmarks wherever possible.

For more information -
Energy Benchmarks for Protected Greenhouse Horticulture in the UK (ECG091)
Case study: Interest-free loans for thermal screens provide 40% energy saving for greenhouse horticulture (CTS187)

Potatoes

Potato production and storage can be an energy intensive business. Because potatoes are a high-yield crop (42t/Ha), your fixed equipment will account for a lot of your total energy costs. For farms with refrigerated storage, the average is about 60%.

• Inverters on fans
  Use inverters on fans. Even small reductions in fan speed will reduce running costs. But be careful not to compromise the condition of the crop. This may require an investment of around £1,500, but it will pay back in 3-5 years.

• Clean refrigeration condenser coils
  Cleaning coils and ensuring that they have an adequate supply of cool ambient air can reduce refrigeration costs by 20%. .

• Pressure-controlled variable speed irrigation systems
  Use a variable speed pump controlled by a pressure transducer in the irrigation line to give the correct water volumes and pressures. This may require an investment of around £5,000, but it will pay for itself in 3 -5 years.

• In-field operations
  Looking after ballasting and tyre pressures can produce significant savings.

As well as using the right equipment it’s important for potato producers to understand and measure where their energy is going. This involves measuring energy consumption and comparing with best practice benchmarks wherever possible.

For more information -
Potato Farming fact sheet (CTL015)
Case study: Interest-free investment in crop store insulation cuts costs and increases income (CTS184)

Find out more about energy measurement and monitoring.

Poultry eggs

Both intensive and free range egg production use a significant amount of energy is still used for ventilation, lighting, feeding and egg collection. You can lower your energy costs by addressing issues such as:

• Clean fans and ducts
  Dirty fans reduce ventilation efficiency by up to 60%. Fans are the prime energy consuming component in any drying or cooling system. Setting up a cleaning schedule for fans and ducts will help you save money.

• Insulation
  Check insulation and re-insulate if necessary. Insulation not only reduces the energy required to heat buildings, it also helps to control temperatures in hot conditions.

• Lighting
  High frequency fluorescent lighting can reduce running costs by as much as 70%. These lights also reduce the flicker that can alarm stock. Some designs allow stable dimming, which can be used to provide effective dawn/dusk simulation.

There is now an extensive amount of comparative information available on energy use in the egg sector. So it's useful for farmers to measure energy consumption and to compare it with best practice benchmarks wherever possible.

For more information -
Egg Production fact sheet (CTL017)

Other

For energy efficiency advice in other subsectors of agriculture and horticulture - for more information, see the sector overview: