Energy Efficient dairy sheds

Between 2005 and 2008 Venture Southland managed a project to evaluate the different technologies available to dairy farmers to improve energy efficiency in the dairy shed. The project was funded by the Sustainable Farming Fund and Diary InSight, and the research was undertaken by the Centre for Advanced Engineering at the University of Canterbury.

The project examined the actual performance and effects of various equipment, including heat pumps, heat recovery units, solar water heaters, vacuum pump variable speed drives, milk pump variable speed drives, milk vat insulating wrap and chilled water milk coolers. To this end, five dairy farms were fitted with real-time energy monitoring using the Woosh Wireless network and monitored through a milking season.

The project has provided much-needed information for farmers who have often been wary of making energy management decisions based on incomplete information and claims made within sales literature. In addition, this study has highlighted a number of critical points for the dairy sector to consider. The results of the study are available for download here.

Next steps...

Venture Southland is planning a follow-on project, "The Well Designed Dairy Shed" to provide benchmarks and set out good practices for those planning to build a new dairy shed. If you have any suggestions, or comments regarding this project, please contact robin@venturesouthland.co.nz.

Venture Southland is also exploring the possibility of  investigating herd homes for Southland and comments regarding the viability of such an investigation are welcomed.