Energy audits can help farmers and ranchers save energy and money. They serve as a baseline upon which better comparisons and decisions can be made about which changes offer the quickest payback.

Audits generally start with an initial interview with producers to gather information about their operation. Information is then collected about the equipment, such as compressors and motors, and the buildings, including lighting and ventilation. Energy usage history is also collected. Once gathered, the information is analyzed, and a report is prepared that recommends energy-saving practices.

Adopting certain management practices can reduce energy use and lower energy costs with little or no upfront investment. For example, if time-of-use electrical rates are available, farmers and ranchers should consider switching heavy energy users such as irrigation, water heating and milking operations to off-peak periods. Other energy-saving methods, such as regular equipment maintenance, more efficient lighting fixtures, high-efficiency water heaters, scheduled wiring system maintenance, sealing of air leaks with insulation and more efficient heating fixtures, can also reduce production costs.

The cost of energy audits varies widely; a basic farm energy audit typically costs from $1,000 to $2,000. However, local energy providers may offer a free or discounted energy audit to their customers.
 

Overview

• Clean Energy Farming: Cutting Costs, Improving Efficiencies, Harnessing Renewables; Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), NIFA, 2008 - As energy prices climb, farmers are increasingly taking advantage of energy efficiency and renewable energy opportunities to reduce energy costs and increase profits.
• Dairy Farm Energy Management Handbook, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection - While written for dairy farmers, this handbook provides an excellent overview about better ways to manage energy on any farm. It covers a wide range of subjects, including farm energy audits, wiring safety and maintenance checklists.
• Farm Energy Audits: Availability, Usefulness, and Cost; ATTRA, National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT); 2009 - The demand for farm energy audits has recently increased, partly because audits are required and encouraged by a major USDA grant and loan program: the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).
• The Farmer’s Handbook for Energy Self-Reliance: Guide to Using Energy Efficiency, Biomass, and Renewable Energy on the Farm; The Institute for Energy and the Environment at Vermont Law School, 2007 - This handbook is a guide to help farmers use energy more efficiently by implementing energy-efficiency measures and by using biomass and renewable energy to reduce operating costs.
• Farmstead Energy Audit, North Dakota State University Extension Service, 2008 - This comprehensive publication suggests ways to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy expenses for farm shops, lighting, livestock buildings, tractors and field operations, grain dryers and livestock waterers.
• Limiting Farm Operations, Iowa State University Extension, 2010 - Maintaining equipment, inflating tires properly and using the right tractor for the job can save farmers anywhere from 3 to 25 percent or more in fuel costs. However, farmers can save 100 percent on fuel costs when equipment stays parked in the machine shed.
• What Alternative Energy Options are Available for Farms?, Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, National Ag Library (NAL), USDA, 2005 - Provides an overview of information sources for alternative energy options for farms available from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Tools

• Energy conservation calculators, Alliant Energy - This webpage provides energy calculators for electric motors, fans, grain dryers, lights, etc.
• Energy Estimator: Animal Housing, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), USDA - This online tool estimates the energy costs and savings for lighting, ventilation, heating, air circulation, milk cooling and water heating for dairy cows, poultry and swine.
• Energy Estimator: Irrigation, NRCS, USDA - This online tool estimates energy savings using different irrigation methods.
• Energy Estimator: Nitrogen, NRCS, USDA - This online tool calculates the cost of nitrogen product use for the predominant crops in each state.
• Energy Estimator: Tillage, NRCS, USDA - This online tool estimates diesel fuel use and costs for key crops. It compares energy savings for conventional and for alternative tillage systems.
• Farm Energy Calculators: Tools for saving money on the farm, ATTRA, NCAT, 2008 - Because of the high cost and difficulty of performing professional energy audits in rural areas, Web-based decision-making tools offer a promising alternative for promoting energy efficiency on farms and ranches.
• Energy-Efficient Equipment for Farms, Wisconsin Public Service - These calculators help determine estimated savings by using energy-efficient equipment for specific applications: tractor heater timers, vacuum pumps, ventilation systems and milk precoolers.
• Tracking the Energy Use on Your Farm, Iowa State University Extension, 2009 - This new publication helps farmers track their energy use and compare their usage and costs for various energy sources. The publication includes an energy log that can be downloaded for use with Microsoft Excel or printed and completed by hand.

Funding

• Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency; Interstate Renewable Energy Council, North Carolina Solar Center and U.S. Department of Energy - Provides a map-based interface for information about state, local, utility company and selected federal incentives that promote renewable energy.
• Directory of Energy Alternatives, ATTRA, NCAT - This directory lists energy-related equipment, funding and technical assistance by state.
• Federal Incentives/Policies for Renewables and Efficiency; Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency; Interstate Renewable Energy Council, North Carolina Solar Center and U.S. Department of Energy - Provides an overview of the 30 percent federal tax credits for homeowners who install renewable energy systems.
• Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), Rural Development, USDA - This program offers grants and loans to assist ag producers with purchasing renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements. Farm energy audits are required for all projects costing more than $50,000.
• USDA Announces Initiative to Improve Agricultural Energy Conservation and Efficiency, NRCS, 2010 - Approximately 1,000 on-farm energy audits in 29 states will be funded through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) in fiscal year 2010. Designed to conserve energy and reduce energy costs, the energy audits will be individually tailored to cover each farm's main energy uses such as manure collection and transfer, grain production, heating and cooling of livestock production facilities, irrigation pumping and similar common on-farm activities. 

Case Studies

• Crave Brothers Farm Reaps Big Benefits with Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Wisconsin Focus on Energy - Crave Brothers strives for economy and environmental sustainability with the installation of energy-saving lighting, water heaters, waterers and even a renewable energy system in the form of an anaerobic digester.
• Colorado Pork, Institute for Energy and the Environment, Vermont Law School  - This medium-sized hog operation near Lamar, Colorado, uses its manure to produce electricity via an in-ground anaerobic digester.
• Energy Efficiency Improvements for Horse Farms, Wisconsin Focus on Energy - Installing energy-efficiency equipment helped two horse-boarding operations manage energy costs.
• Griesen Family Dairy: A New Beginning, Wisconsin Focus on Energy - An overview of the energy-efficient measures the Griesen family implemented to reduce their annual energy bills.
• Quantum Dairy Takes the Modernization Leap, Wisconsin Focus on Energy - This Wisconsin farmer introduced several new energy-saving measures and maximized energy efficiency by installing an anaerobic digester.
• Sample Audits, EnSave - Sample audits are provided for a dairy and a poultry farm.
• Tropical Gardens Sees More Green, Wisconsin Focus on Energy - The owners of Tropical Gardens greenhouse installed a thermal energy curtain to reduce heat loss and heating costs.

Prepared December 2009 and reviewed June 2011.