"A good analysis of the use and costs for heating, lighting and ventilating animal housing contributes to a comprehensive picture of how energy is used on the farm or ranch," Johanns said. "This tool can result in significant energy and cost savings for producers if they take the appropriate actions."
Producers with animal feeding operations can save up to $250 million annually nationwide by regularly maintaining their ventilation and heating systems and using more energy-efficient fixtures and equipment. An individual producer may realize up to 50 percent savings in energy use by maintaining their ventilation and heating equipment regularly.
The Web-based Energy Estimator for Animal Housing has three components -- poultry, swine and dairy -- that operate independently. Once the required information has been entered, the animal housing energy awareness tool provides an analysis of estimated energy use and costs associated with various energy management options. The analysis also identifies potential energy savings that can result from carrying out certain recommendations for tillage, nitrogen and irrigation. This tool evaluates alternatives based on producer input.
