Farmers can save money on energy

HARRISONBURG — Ways to save on energy expenses abound on the farm, if you know where to look for them, presenters told more than 50 farmers from throughout the Shenandoah Valley at an energy savings workshop Jan. 8 at James Madison University in Harrisonburg. The workshop was sponsored by the Shenandoah Resource Conservation and Development Council and supported with a grant from the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy.

Workshop presenters told farmers how they could reduce energy expenses through low-cost to nocost steps, including equipment replacements and loan and grant programs. Wind and solar power, though, were not promoted as efficient or effective ways to save money.

"Wind and solar are not the way to go economically," said Richard Hiatt, president and executive manager of the Rural Electricity Resource Council in Wilmington, Ohio. There are easier and more cost effective ways to save energy dollars, he said.

In the turkey house, for example, replacing an old fan with a more efficient one might cut costs.

Pick the right

fan for the job

Hiatt explained not all fans are created equal.

"You can't pick fans by looking at them," he said. "You have to go by the performance curve."

The Energy Efficient Ventilation Fan Ranking Guide is one reference that can help decide what fan to buy. The efficiency of the parts (motor and fan) is important, not just the motor.

Efficiency is equal to output over input, or material moved versus electricity in, he said. Some farmers overlook wasted energy with inefficient fans because "air out is invisible, and watts in is invisible," he said. That's where performance ratings matter.

"Some fans move 50 percent more air for the same energy input," Hiatt said. "Compare the test results made at the static pressure the fan will operate against. Static pressure is the air resistance that the fan operates against.

"You have to know the static pressure in animal buildings to pick a good fan," he added.

Farmers use different types of fans in buildings. Exhaust fans pull outside air through a building.

Energy engineer Illari Vihinen of EnSave, Inc., Richmond, Vt., an energy savings consultant, said, "Some fans can work in a tougher environment than other fans. If a fan is never on, it doesn't make sense to replace it. It doesn't make sense to replace incandescent lights in a closet that is never opened. You'll never get any savings."

An airflow ratio of at least .7, he said, is preferable and a cubic feet per minute should be at least in the 20s.

Circulation fans mix the air in a building and operate in zero pressure, said Hiatt. They reduce heat stratification, increasing bird comfort while reducing gas consumption, amounting to a savings of 10-30 percent on energy costs, Vihinen added.

"As long as it gets the heat down to the birds, that is what counts," he said.

And maintain fans, Vihinen declared. Dirty fans waste energy.

Fans last about 15-20 years. Hiatt said with a fan that is 12-15 years old, should swap it out for a different fan.

But don't be fooled by price. A cheaper fan might cost more than an expensive fan that moves more air for less energy.

Save money over the life of a motor

"Over 97 percent of your ownership costs are for the electricity it uses," Hiatt said. "Instead of paying two percent (of total lifetime operating costs) for a motor, pay three percent for a more efficient motor. It makes sense to pay a little more for that motor.

"Electric motors are simple and efficient," Hiatt said. There's a low initial cost and a long life (30,000- 50,000 hours). "If you buy a 3/4 hp motor, you are going to own it for 13 years, so choose an efficient one, " he said.

Consider the size of the load and hours of run time when determining where to save motor operating costs, he said. A 2 hp motor operated frequently is the first place to look. A bigger motor used infrequently is not as important to saving energy.

"The whole idea of bigger is better doesn't work," he said. "You are wasting a lot of energy. If you have to swap out a motor, look at the motor price versus efficiency. Not all high-efficiency motors cost more than standard efficiency motors. It pays to shop and ask questions."

Renewable energy

pros, cons

Renewable energy is good for some farmers, but only if they have a remote location that needs lighting, or they have a good wind resource, Vihinen said.

But Dr. Maria Papadakis of JMU's Department of Integrated Science and Technology and Geographic Science cautioned, "People are surprised at the cost and payback of wind and solar systems." As for those who think they can make money selling electricity back to the power company, "Most of you don't have the wind resources to allow you to sell at a profit," she said.

Papadakis explained electricity is relatively cheap in Virginia (9- 10 cents per kilowatt-hour). Out West, it is much higher (25 cents per kwh).

A solar system produces 14 watts of electricity at optimum sunshine per square foot. A 1kilowatt system costs $8,000. "At 10 cents a kwh, it would take almost 50 years to (realize) a pay back in electricity savings," she said. "That's usually where the discussion on solar energy ends."

The best applications for solar power are in remote areas for low power such as lighting, fencing, and water pumping.

One problem with wind energy is inconsistency — the wind doesn't blow all the time.

"Wind class drives the size of turbine you can use," she said. "The best (wind) resources in the Eastern United States are coastal and the ridge lines of the Alleghenies."

The federal government, however, owns most of the ridges, she said.

Rockingham and Augusta counties average class 2 winds, she said. That is enough electricity to run a hair dryer. "About the biggest (turbine) you can get on Class 1 and 2 is a 20 kw (system)," she said. That's about as big as a barn.

"I know people who have 42,000 kwh usage on their farms, this is not going to power your farm," she said. The payback on a 20 kw system is 15 years. "I'm not sure it is affordable at the small level."

Some mountain ridges, though, have class 6-7 winds.

Wind is variable, even within a region known for high winds, so those who want to use wind power should first determine the amount of wind available. Install an anemometer and take wind readings for at least a year or two. JMU has anemometers to loan.

Contact Papadakis at (540) 568-8142 for more information on renewable energy and energy audits.

Grant programs help,

but they aren't free

It takes money to get money, but for those in a position to take advantage of a government grant program, there's the Value-Added Producer Grant.

An announcement of the grant is expected in the Federal Register by the end of March, but the paperwork process is complicated and those who have not gotten a head start are not likely to get any money from the program, though one can learn from this year's funding cycle and be ready for next year.

Basically, the VAPG will loan people money to make improvements on a farm that add value to products. In energy savings, the program might pay for some of the costs associated with an energy audit and help upgrade a turkey house.

Another government grant and loan program is the Rural Energy for America Program. People can use the money to upgrade a turkey house with more efficient lighting, heating, ventilation or insulation. Call Laurette Tucker at USDA Rural Development (804) 287- 1594 for more information or go online to http://rurdev.usda.gov/ rbs/farmbill or www.rurdev.usda. gov/ia/rbs.html.

It's complicated, as most government programs are, and there are many caveats and catches, but the money is there, for those who have the time and the resources to apply.