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Page updated/verified: May 11, 2012

Energy Efficiency in Agriculture

For more information, e-mail us or call (360) 902-1812.

According to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), an extremely conservative estimate of potential energy savings in the agricultural sector is $1 billion per year. The largest savings are available in the motor system (especially irrigation pumping), onsite transportation, and lighting energy end-uses. Just these three potential savings amount to 10 percent of total energy expenses for the agricultural sector nationwide. However, many more savings are available to Washington producers, including reduced tillage, precision farming systems, and efficient irrigation equipment. Energy savings are available to all segments of Washington agriculture: dairies and livestock producers, nurseries, crop farmers and food processors can save significantly by installing more efficient lighting, heating, and cooling systems. Best of all, these efficiency improvements have very short returns on investment and federal grant funds are available to support improvements.

Dairy operations
More than almost any other agricultural operation, dairies rely on electrical energy for milking (vacuum pumps), cooling and storing milk, heating water, and lighting. In times of rising energy costs and static dairy prices, energy costs can be the difference between making and losing money. Opportunities include energy-efficient:

Lighting;
Ventilation;
Milk-cooling;
Water-heating; and
Vacuum pump motors (e.g., variable speed drives).

Dairy Energy Efficiency Resources:

The Energy Center of Wisconsin (search the term 'dairy') and WSU Energy Extension have numerous publications on dairy energy efficiency topics.

Fertilizer Use
About a third of all energy used in U.S. agriculture goes to commercial fertilizer and pesticide production. Producers can readily impact their â€œbottom lineâ€ by reducing these energy inputs. Successful strategies include the use of cover crops and manures, nitrogen-fixing crops in rotations, composting, and integrated pest management (IPM). In addition, precision farming can reduce overlap of fertilizer applications.

Fertilizer Reduction Resources:

For more information on specific nitrogen fertilizer reduction strategies, see ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.
Energy Estimator: Nitrogen, USDA-NRCS.
Fertilizer Calculator, Oregon Tilth and Oregon State University.
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) Precision Farming.

Greenhouse Agriculture
Typical annual greenhouse energy usage is 75% for heating, 15% for electricity and 10% for vehicles. Producers who put resources where the greatest savings can be realized have clear opportunities for savings. Energy conservation solutions range from common-sense to extremely efficient heating, cooling and watering systems:

Reduce Air Leaks by using door closers, weather stripping (doors, vents, fan openings) and lubricating louvers (a partially open louver may allow several air changes per hour).
Double covering on sidewalls and endwalls.
Poly with an infrared inhibitor on the inner layer can give 15% energy savings.
Thermal Blankets can achieve 20%-50% energy savings.
Foundation and Sidewall Insulation.

Greenhouse Energy Efficiency Resources:

Greenhouse Conservation Checklist, University of Connecticut.

Irrigation
A study in Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, and other states found that irrigation systems are, typically, not as efficient as they should be: on average, about 25 percent of the electrical energy used for irrigation was being wasted due to poor pump and motor efficiency. Properly designed systems promote correct soil moisture levels, leading to crop stress, reduced yields, wasted water, runoff, soil erosion, and many other problems. Energy (and money) can be saved in many ways:

Efficiency irrigation pumps, including variable speed pump motors;
Frequent management/maintenance of irrigation systems;
Proper pump-sizing; and
Upgrade to more efficient irrigation system, e.g. from wheel lines to pivot or linear sprinkler systems.

Irrigation Efficiency Resources:

For more information on specific reduction strategies, see ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.
National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) produces a guide to energy efficient irrigation.
WSU Energy Extension has numerous publications on irrigation energy efficiency topics.

Farm Vehicles
The biggest opportunities for energy savings from farm vehicles can be found in tillage systems and tractor fuel efficiency. Tractor fuel efficiency can be as simple as proper tire inflation, regular vehicle maintenance, and reduced idling. Such measures can not only save fuel, but prolong the life of the tractor.

Where applicable, the biggest gains in tillage reduction are found in reduced-till or no-till cropping systems. These systems can also offer benefits such as increased crop yields, soil moisture conservation and reduced time in the field. Farmers can also use overlap reduction systems such as auto-steer, obstacle isolation, and proper equipment sizing to gain significant reductions in fuel use and equipment wear.

Energy efficiency incentives
USDA Rural Development offers grants for up to 25% of the costs of energy efficiency projects. These USDA grants are competitive and producers must have an energy audit by a certified auditor prior to applying.

Additional publications and resources
Tips to reduce agricultural energy costs from Mississippi State University Extension Service.

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Energy Estimator offers a variety of energy saving suggestions, including nitrogen, tillage, irrigation, and animal housing.

The Farm Assessment Toolkit developed jointly by the University of Wisconsin and Focus on Energy assesses your farm's energy efficiency and identifies efficiency opportunities.

National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) - NCAT helps farmers, government agencies, small businesses and non-profit organizations access information on appropriate technologies to help achieve sustainability in the agricultural and energy sectors.

Energy Solutions for Independent Farms - Vermont Law School's Institute for Energy and the Environment produced a guide and other web resources to help farmers increase energy self-reliance and profitability.

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