Collectively New Zealand’s dairy farms use a lot of electricity, accounting for nearly 2.5 per cent of the nation's electricity use and slightly more than all of Fonterra’s New Zealand manufacturing sites combined. Experience at these manufacturing sites suggests that energy savings of 10 per cent or more are possible through a concerted opportunity assessment process and by follow-up assistance.
The Dairy Electricity Advisory Programme began in January 2010 and has multiple objectives:
-
- To determine the potential to reduce on-farm electricity use;
- To gauge the level of interest from farmers;
- To understand the impediments to adoption of cost effective energy efficiency measures;
- To develop a database of farm electricity use and to explore correlations between this and farm practices; and
- To develop standard checklists, templates, and calculation modules allowing rollout to a greater number of farms.
The programme involves taking a random sample of 150 dairy farms who receive an energy audit covering both milking shed and irrigation electricity use culminating in a customised energy report detailing energy savings opportunities and advice on renewable energy options.
In parallel with this, the farm's monthly electricity use covering a two year period is obtained from their electricity retailer and this is put into a database alongside milk production, cow numbers, and irrigation to establish benchmarks. Where an individual farm sits relative to that benchmark has been reported back to each participant. Farm equipment and practices as captured in the audit visits are also being correlated with the farm "energy efficiency" to give insight into energy use drivers. The energy report is followed in a telephone call some weeks after being sent to ensure it is understood and to offer advice and support to implement any recommendations.
The programme in 2011 is in its final stages with all the farm visits and reports completed. The last stage is to telephone all 150 participants to canvass their views on how useful the audit was, what they have implemented, and what is stopping implementation of cost effective options. This is to be drawn together in a report on the extent of savings possible and how this might best be supported across all 13,000 dairy farms in New Zealand.
