Controlling electricity costs on the farm

The Jantzis, who have operated the family farm in the Kitchener-Waterloo region for over 30 years, recently took time out from running their farrowing and poultry farm to talk about the importance of controlling electricity costs.

With 60 percent of their costs in feed and another 25 percent in labour, reducing their electricity costs has become increasingly important in business decisions.

“We’ve always been looking at ways to lower the cost of production,” says Gerald. “You can’t do much at the other end (sales).”

The hydro bill has been a concern, even back in the 1980s when the cost of electricity was eight cents a kilowatt hour,   compared to 13 cents today, he explains.

With extremely environmentally sensitive animals like pigs, the challenge is to reduce costs without compromising animal comfort and health. Piglets and sows require different temperatures to be comfortable in the farrowing area. Piglets, born on the Jantzi farm where they remain for 18 days, require creep heat temperatures of about 36 degrees Celsius. The sows are more comfortable and maximize their milk production at 18 degrees Celsius. The traditional method for providing appropriate comfort temperatures for the sow and her piglets is the heat lamp. It has normally operated continuously for the piglet’s 18-day post-farrowing period. The lamp is raised and lowered manually to adjust the temperature in each farrowing area to provide as much temperature comfort as possible. Animal comfort is maintained, but there was no way to control the cost.

In the 1980s, when energy-efficient electric heat pads became available, the Jantzis began installing them as the most effective way to reduce electricity costs while maintaining the comfort levels for their animals.

The comfort, environment and cost-saving benefits were immediate, says Gerald. A controller on the heating pads allows the heat output to be adjusted as required, reducing electricity usage further.
A heat lamp is now only used during the first few days after the birth of the piglets to keep them dry, warm and draw them to the sow for feeding. The use of heat lamps has dropped by 75 percent, from about 20 to five days, explains Gerald.

Gerald estimates the yearly electricity savings for each farrowing area is about $70. With more than 200 farrowing areas, the annual savings for the Jantzi farm is about $13,400 when compared with relying solely on heat lamps. Although the initial cost of a heating pad ranging from $150 to $200 is higher than a heat lamp (average $30), the improved animal environment and lower electricity cost soon outweigh the higher initial cost. A 60-watt heat pad reduces electricity use in the farrowing area by about 630 kWh per year compared to a heat lamp.

He estimates an additional $20 savings in electricity is achieved by monitoring the heat level the first days after birth. Heat pad controllers allow the staff to adjust pad heat. The stockman gradually adjusts the temperature downwards according to comfort levels required. Although the farrowing barn is highly automated including temperature controls and feeding, “the final determination of comfort levels is based on the stockmanship of the people working in the barn. From experience and knowledge of the animals, they can tell whether it is too hot, too cold or just right.”

The Jantzis reduced their yearly electricity costs by another $5,000 to $6,000 by installing six new energy-efficient exhaust fans, replacing the existing 10-year-old fans in their poultry barn. The six new fans, ranging in size from 18 to 36 inches, are 30 to 50 percent more efficient. The installation was completed this past spring. The new ventilation system in the barn has significantly reduced the potential for
overheating that could seriously affect the comfort of the chickens.

In addition, they were able to cut more electricity costs in the poultry barn by replacing the old-style box heaters with less costly gas-fired radiant heaters.

Gerald began cutting his lighting cost in the swine barn when he converted from incandescent lights to florescent lights, first installing older, T12-type lamps and replacing those with the even more efficient T8s when they became available. In the poultry barn, 40-watt incandescent bulbs are used with dimmers to reduce cost. “We’ll start to replace these when dimmable fluorescents become available,” says Gerald.

Looking at energy trends on the farm, Gerald expects to see more farm energy-generating projects in the near future. “It will be an additional source of farm income.”

“We’ve enough nutrients here to power the place without needing to sell to the grid,” he says. He has looked into the possibility of wind power and anaerobic digester energy generation on his farm. “But, right now, the technology is too expensive. They’re further ahead in Europe because the price for electricity is much higher than in Ontario. It’s for the next generation.”

Gerald says electricity costs will become an increasingly more important element in farming in the future -- more than ever before. Young farmers should seriously consider building dual ventilation barns -- natural ventilation combined with small minimum winter ventilation fans. “Always think about installing the most energy-efficient equipment. In the long run, it will save money. Digesters may be too expensive today, but it is a technology waiting to happen.”

He predicts economic opportunities will significantly increase for Ontario farmers to participate in their own energy-generation process.

Ontario farmers seeking information about anaerobic digesters including financial assistance should contact the Agriculture Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 or email: ag.info.omafra@Ontario.ca.