Energy surveys on over 100 dairy farms in west Kerry’s Corca Dhuibhne Gaeltacht are to be carried out as part of a groundbreaking sustainability project.
The farms are members of West Kerry Dairy Farmers Sustainable Energy Community (WKDFSEC), which has already undertaken extensive work on promoting greater energy efficiency on local dairy holdings.
The group already commissioned an energy master plan (EMP) to calculate their existing energy practices and, from this analysis, identify ways to become more energy efficient.
The key findings of the EMP were that:
In 2019, this farming community used energy of over 10,000 MWh (generating 2,900 tonnes of CO2) and costing circa €1m. Technology such as Solar PV panels will reduce energy costs, where the meter between the dairy parlour and the domestic dwelling is shared.Heat recovery systems used in a dairy parlour could lead to more than halving the energy required for heating water, leading to potential savings of over €800 per annum.Agricultural diesel is the single biggest energy consumer at 52%, costing around €750,000. (If biomethane could be substituted for diesel, there is a substantial market opportunity.)Retrofitting of farm dwelling houses to B2 could reduce energy usage by 1,400 MWh and 360 tonnes of CO2.The individual farm surveys now being undertaken will enable the group to understand each dairy farm’s unique situation and quantify their actual energy use to decide which climate action activities are best suited to becoming more energy efficient.
Funding for this work will be provided by SEAI and Kerry Agribusiness. The project is also supported by the Dingle Hub and Teagasc.
'Eager'
WKDFSEC chair Dinny Galvin said the group is “beyond eager” to take the next steps for their farms and for the environment.
“We have achieved a lot already with this energy master plan - it shows us where we are now and how we can move to take climate action,” Galvin said.
“I have seen on my own farm that many of these activities are low-hanging fruit but they make a strong impact on energy efficiency and farm finances,” he added.
“It is time to get these energy surveys done so we can take the opportunities to make the biggest difference on our holdings.”
Energy surveys on over 100 dairy farms in west Kerry’s Corca Dhuibhne Gaeltacht are to be carried out as part of a groundbreaking sustainability project.
The farms are members of West Kerry Dairy Farmers Sustainable Energy Community (WKDFSEC), which has already undertaken extensive work on promoting greater energy efficiency on local dairy holdings.
The group already commissioned an energy master plan (EMP) to calculate their existing energy practices and, from this analysis, identify ways to become more energy efficient.
The key findings of the EMP were that:
In 2019, this farming community used energy of over 10,000 MWh (generating 2,900 tonnes of CO2) and costing circa €1m. Technology such as Solar PV panels will reduce energy costs, where the meter between the dairy parlour and the domestic dwelling is shared.Heat recovery systems used in a dairy parlour could lead to more than halving the energy required for heating water, leading to potential savings of over €800 per annum.Agricultural diesel is the single biggest energy consumer at 52%, costing around €750,000. (If biomethane could be substituted for diesel, there is a substantial market opportunity.)Retrofitting of farm dwelling houses to B2 could reduce energy usage by 1,400 MWh and 360 tonnes of CO2.The individual farm surveys now being undertaken will enable the group to understand each dairy farm’s unique situation and quantify their actual energy use to decide which climate action activities are best suited to becoming more energy efficient.
Funding for this work will be provided by SEAI and Kerry Agribusiness. The project is also supported by the Dingle Hub and Teagasc.
'Eager'
WKDFSEC chair Dinny Galvin said the group is “beyond eager” to take the next steps for their farms and for the environment.
“We have achieved a lot already with this energy master plan - it shows us where we are now and how we can move to take climate action,” Galvin said.
“I have seen on my own farm that many of these activities are low-hanging fruit but they make a strong impact on energy efficiency and farm finances,” he added.
“It is time to get these energy surveys done so we can take the opportunities to make the biggest difference on our holdings.”
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