Solar is the new Cash Cow for Dairy Farms
Today’s dairy farms depend on electricity to run just about every aspect of their businesses.
Summer has the highest energy consumption on a dairy farm compared to other seasons. This is because the cooling tanks have to operate for longer periods to keep milk at an appropriate temperature. And while South Africa waits for the rains to arrive, more groundwater needs to be pumped to keep the cows hydrated and clean, to wash the floors and milking equipment. And still those machines need to keep operating and the electricity bills keep climbing!
Solar can meet all the electricity needs in your milking shed, including lighting, heating water cylinders, charging equipment batteries, and refrigeration. It is also useful for remote applications, such as running water pumps to irrigate your fields, and powering electric fences for stock control. Dairy farmers can even use solar to power their homes and the homes of staff.
Solar power allows you to efficiently utilise energy during the day, as well as store some of the sun’s free energy in your own battery banks for use during high tariff periods or during power outages and loadshedding.
Smart, automated solar systems
Blockpower’s smart automated systems draw power from the cheapest source at any period and automatically direct the flow of energy where it is needed most at the time. Electricity from the solar panels is used first to power any appliances that are on, then to charge the system’s battery bank, which can be drawn upon at a later point in time when the sun is not shining.
If the battery bank is fully charged, electricity will then be exported to the grid (in areas where this is allowed). And when the battery bank has been discharged to its minimum allowable level, your backup diesel or biogas generator, gets switched on if required. Wind turbines and other sources of energy can also be incorporated into a professional hybrid PV solar system.
Power will only be drawn from the grid during off-peak periods when necessary.
Plenty of space for solar panels
Normally, panels can be installed on the roof of your shed, if there is enough space, a north-facing orientation and a strong-enough structure. But ground-mounted systems are also increasingly common and are generally of two types: trackers or fixed racks – trackers generate more electricity, especially later in the day, but generally require more land and may cost more.
Whether using trackers or fixed racks, it is possible to use the area around the panels for farming if you plan ahead. For cropping or hay, consider the spacing and height necessary to run your planting and harvesting equipment. For pasture, consider the strength and height of the poles to avoid damage from grazing sheep, cows, horses, or other livestock.
Ground-mounted solar systems further offer the surprising side-effect of cool cows for those bovines who shelter beneath the elevated solar arrays.
Start with an energy audit
Calculating your individual dairy’s precise power needs is vital, since so many variables exist from farm to farm — the number of cows, the size and number of milk tanks, and the size of the field relative to your irrigation and electric fencing needs, to name a few. An energy audit is recommended that includes an analysis of energy consumption patterns, as well as a site visit to record fundamentals of energy usage, equipment data, operational behaviour and other factors that affect energy consumption.
Do your homework and partner with a professional company in tune with the unique rhythms, applications and challenges of your dairy farm; invest in a properly-designed and installed system the first time around, and you could realise savings of up to 80% of your current electricity costs.
For more information on a modular, scalable solar solution that can grow with your budget and energy requirements, contact Blockpower on 010 300 0710 or info@blockpower.co.za.
