Advice and financial incentives to

become more energy efficient

1-866-643-8833 (Toll-Free)



Agricultural Operations

Energy consumption generates greenhouse gases (GHG) and can account for a significant business expense.  By implementing energy efficient measures and practices, agricultural operations can get more value from the energy they purchase and increase production, while lessening their impact on the environment.


Many opportunities exist for the agriculture industry to decrease energy consumption and realize cost savings. All of these measures should be evaluated for each individual building first by a professional, and a comprehensive energy audit may be beneficial.


Typical energy efficiency measures


HVAC  

 

  • Follow recommended maintenance schedules for equipment

  • Have tight fitting windows and doors in all buildings to avoid air leakage thus heat loss
  • Seal windows and doors with caulking and weather stripping

  • Increase insulation of farm building walls to R20 and roofs to R30

  • Maximize natural ventilation in barns wherever possible. High volume,  low speed fans may be feasible and a good fit.

  • Clean ventilation fans and louvres
Lighting  

 

  • Change from T12 lighting to HPT8 fluorescent lighting in the barn

  • Install / use dimmers and occupancy sensors on barn lights
Hot Water  

 

  • Insulate hot water lines

  • Use a timer on water heaters so the water temperature is correct WHEN it is needed

  • Flush the sediment from hot water tank regularly

  • Install a heat reclaim system to pre- heat the water entering the hot water tank
Agricultural Equipment  

 

  • Follow the recommended maintenance schedule for all equipment and machinery

  • Switch to a milk pre-cooler system to cool the milk before it enters the bulk milk tank

  • Use variable speed drives on vacuum and milk pumps on milking equipment
Other Environmentally Friendly Tips  

 

  • Match the size of the tractor to the size of the implements

  • Ensure equipment tires are inflated to the recommended pressure

  • Look into anaerobic digestion of manure for green energy and reduce odors on your farm (I need to confirm that this is “recycling” manure)

  • Use water recycling equipment (this would be things such as rain water harvesting and reusing rinse water for cleaning)

  • Avoid irrigation during the hottest periods of the day

  • Apply only the amount of irrigation required for crop growth

 

Financial incentives available

Efficiency NB has programs to help businesses perform energy audits and the recommended retrofits to save energy.

Efficiency NB’s Energy Smart Commercial Buildings Retrofit Program provides financial incentives of up to $3,000 towards an evaluation to determine the potential for energy efficiency upgrades and a maximum of $75,000 towards the energy retrofitting project costs. For more information about making your agricultural operation more energy efficient, click here or contact us at 1-866 643-8833 ext.128.

Agricultural producers may also qualify for financial assistance delivered by the New Brunswick Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries. Please contact your local office for more details.


Best Practice Guide

Agricultural operations.pdf 314.4KB