This NCAT ATTRA publication provides an overview of how dairy farms can implement efficiency improvements and energy-saving technologies that can reduce energy consumption and energy-related costs. The publication includes details on the milking process, milk cooling systems, heating water and lighting.
This North Dakota State University Extension article concerns energy efficiency opportunities in tractors and field operations. The checklist includes a list of questions to ask related to proper tire inflation, RPM speed on larger tractors and shading for fuel storage. The document also includes a list of facts and actions regarding tractor maintenance, machine cost calculator and wheel slippage.
This publication by Penn State Extension provides energy saving tips for Dairy Farmers. Included in this document are tips relating to variable speeds on vacuum pumps, pre coolers for cooling milk, tuning vacuum systems and heat recovery from milk-cooler compressors.
This Wisconsin Public Service publication concerns high-volume low-speed (HVLS) fans as a ventilation option for dairy and livestock farmers. The publication includes information on air velocity related to cow comfort, air velocity obstructions and diagrams showing air velocities in feet per minute.
This NCAT ATTRA publication describes the installation of the heat recovery equipment and provides an analysis of data on humidity and temperature in the winter growing tunnels used in the project. The publication includes details on the trial of a heat recovery ventilation (HRV) system as an alternative to traditional ventialtion in tunnel production. The installation process of the heat recovery equipment is provided.
The article concerns the performance of a solar water heater with gas backup and an air-source heat-pump water-heater at a dairy farm in Ireland. The publication discusses the heater’s affect on energy efficiency and it’s relation to renewable energy, emission and target interactions as identified in the document.
DOE Announces Initiatives to Increase Community Solar Deployment The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) made announcements during the National Solar Partnership Summit (NCSP) addressing new initiatives that will unlock barriers related to the deployment of community solar. These initiatives will assist the NCSP in reaching one of their goals of creating $1 billion in energy […]
This paper provides insight on the trade-offs of co-locating agriculture and solar photovoltaic infrastructure by analyzing microclimatic conditions, PV panel temperature, soil moisture and irrigation water use, plant ecophysiological function and plant biomass production within this agrivoltaics ecosystem and in traditional PV installations and agricultural settings.
This thesis presents a case study of plant-pollinator interactions at a solar energy generation site in southwestern Oregon, a water-limited, dryland ecosystem. Results show no difference in visitation rates of insects to flowers located inside versus outside the solar array. These findings could prove useful when developing AgriSolar operations that include pollinators.
The article investigates the effects of solar arrays on plant composition, bloom timing and foraging behavior of pollinators from June to September (after peak bloom) in full shade plots and partial shade plots under solar panels as well as in full sun plots (controls) outside of the solar panels.
