Improving energy in livestock farms

(Baonghean) - In the structure of the agricultural sector, livestock farming is a much larger energy consuming sector than crop farming, forestry and aquaculture. This makes many livestock farm owners worried about their monthly electricity bills in the context of rising energy prices. However, there are many ways to solve this problem. Below are 5 simple measures that can bring practical benefits in energy efficiency to livestock farm owners.

The dairy farm in Nghia Dan has invested in installing a cooling system using fan technology.

1. Barn ventilation system:

Housing for different types of livestock has very different ventilation requirements. A properly designed and properly functioning ventilation system is essential to improve energy efficiency.

- First of all, it is necessary to choose high-efficiency fans, based on the ratio between the volume of the wind space and the amount of electricity consumed under the same pressure conditions. On the other hand, instead of having to mobilize a large number of fans in all locations in the barn, arranging the fan positions in a chain will help farm owners take advantage of the wind power in one location for another. This will help reduce the cost of buying too many fans unnecessarily, expand the barn space and most importantly save energy. In addition, adding a number of pedestal fans around the farm also brings certain effects. In addition, it is also necessary to pay attention to regular cleaning and maintenance of fans.

- Second, it is important to realize that natural ventilation is still the most effective way to minimize monthly electricity costs. Farm owners need to take full advantage of their planning, avoiding costly installations later, such as paying more attention to the thickness and materials of the walls, the location of louvers, windows, doors, etc. Ventilation pipes also need to be cleaned regularly. In addition, for open-plan barns (less than 4 walls), the part without walls should face the sun so that ventilation can take place easily, and sunlight will help eliminate many bacteria that are harmful to livestock.

- Finally, homeowners can also design additional roof ventilation systems to reduce energy costs, especially in hot and humid climates.

2. Lighting system:

Similar to the ventilation system, for the lighting system, choosing high-efficiency lamps, reasonable installation location and optimal usage plan are extremely important. Regarding the type of lamp, LED is the ideal choice when saving 40-70% compared to other types of lamps. Meanwhile, an optimal usage plan can be created through the combination of photovoltaic cells, smart meters and some other control devices. This will help ensure that the use of electric lights only occurs when really necessary. In addition, the flexible use of main switches and individual switches for each area of ​​the farm also contributes significantly to reducing energy consumption.

3. Infrared heater:

Infrared heaters are a useful device to automatically provide heat to the places where it is needed (according to the user's settings) instead of having to provide heat continuously to the entire system. In addition, installing additional thermostats will help improve the energy efficiency of the farm.

4. Water system:

In some cold countries, the water system not only cleans the barn but also prevents the winter freezing phenomenon that hinders livestock. This phenomenon is the cause of a large amount of electricity wasted on pumping water and possibly heating. Simple methods to limit this phenomenon include increasing the wall thickness or adding insulation in winter, painting the entire wall and equipment black to improve heat absorption, using large pipes to reduce water pressure due to freezing, regularly checking the condition of the pipes to limit leakage, etc. Particularly for farms with milk production lines, the owner can take advantage of the warm water obtained after the milk cooling process to limit the freezing of the barn.

5. Animal waste treatment system:

Farm owners need to accurately calculate the scale of their farm, in terms of size and maximum number of livestock, to install a waste treatment system of the appropriate size. On the other hand, in the context of current treatment systems mainly using water power to clean barns, integration with the water system and setting the appropriate temperature and water speed is essential. In addition, the development of clean energy technology also allows farm owners to take advantage of the rich source of organic waste from livestock as fuel for electricity production. With just a simple anaerobic decomposition process, they can obtain a gas mixture containing up to 60% methane - a clean fuel that does not pollute the environment.

Viet Phuong (Synthesis)