Dairy and dairy products manufacturing is one of the rapidly growing industries in India. With the introduction of innovative technologies in dairy operations, there is a significant increase in energy consumption. Dairy operations are performed using electrical power from the grid, so there is a constant increase in the cost of electrical power from the grid. The demand for off-grid renewable energy systems is on the rise.
Solar Energy on Dairy Farms
Solar energy is highly flexible and can be utilized to cover almost all of your bases. For instance, you can use solar power to generate electricity to run farming tools and machines and carry out other tasks such as heating water, etc. Furthermore, solar energy can be stored in batteries or thermal storage to give lighting during the night. So we need to consider the amount of energy that is required to power a small dairy farm. Dairy farms need plenty of water to wash milking tools and storage tanks for which a lot of hot water is required and in turn lot of the energy goes into heating water, so switching to a source that is 100% renewable will help save a lot for farmers in the long term and also contribute a lot to the environment. There is a lot of benefits that solar power can provide to your dairy farm. The amount of heating, lighting and cooling required to produce good-quality milk costs the average farmer thousands in electrical bills. Dairy farms can use their large roof spaces for solar panel installation and these panels have a positive impact on the cattle’s comforts. Rooftop Solar panels provide shade to the cows.
Powering even a medium-sized dairy farm requires a huge amount of energy and most of the dairy farms are still using electricity from the grid supply.
Solar panels can produce huge volumes of power from even a few hours’ worth of sunshine and even have surplus energy left to cover for inclement weather. If dairy farmers are using electricity to power the lighting in their sheds and homes, then solar power is a great substitute. If you’re thinking about using solar power to fuel your hydraulic-based irrigation systems, then you’ve made an excellent choice. You will not only save on your electricity bill but also be contributing to the environment. You can also use solar power for electrified fences running around the dairy farm. It’s probably expensive due to the nonstop electricity and large size, and powering this through solar is a much more wise alternative.
What are the Benefits of Solar Power on Dairy Farm?
Solar power can be used in whichever way you like, and whatever electricity can do, solar power can do just as well. Even though solar panel installation can be expensive and time-consuming, you’ll soon discover that it pays for itself. Dairy farmers who have switched to solar power have started saving thousands of rupees in a short span after executing it. Moreover, having on-site energy in plenty provides a money-making chance as extra energy can be sold back to the National Grid.
Everything from washing milking lines and milk storage tanks to electric fence operation can be powered totally by solar. Although there is a high initial investment on switching to green energy, having on-site power can result in substantial savings on electricity bills and has a return on investment of approximately 4 to 5 years. Solar power is very effective for dairy farmers. It gives huge returns, and several farm owners have reaped the benefits after switching to renewable energy. By switching to green energy, you can save 100% of the money you would spend on electricity. So dairy farms can make a lot of savings. Considering the fact how expensive it is to run even a small dairy farm using electrical power from the grid, farmers will be looking at huge savings if they switch to solar power.
Dairy Farmers can also make money from solar power by selling excess energy to the grid for a profit. A solar powered-farm is an investment for the future. If you intend to make your farm lucrative for the next generations, then switch to solar power.
Solar Power is the Future of Dairy Farming
Apart from the initial investment, there is no downside to switching to green energy to power your dairy farm.
Solar power has a positive impact on the environment, it is economical, more reliable, and will help you save more on your electricity bills and other expenses. Furthermore, solar energy plants do not produce air pollution or greenhouse gases. Using solar energy reduces the use of other energy sources that have a larger effect on the environment.
At present solar power is being used widely on a large scale, but it will take a much longer time before it goes mainstream and becomes widespread. As nonrenewable energy has a negative impact on the environment, it is high time that we switch to renewable energy and that needs to be our future. Dairy operations are performed using electrical power from the grid, so there is a constant increase in the cost of electrical power from the grid. The demand for off-grid renewable energy systems is on the rise.
As there is a constant increase in energy consumption in dairy operations, the demand for off-grid renewable energy systems is on the rise and dairy farmers will soon realize how beneficial is solar energy and will soon switch to green energy.