Energy Efficiency and Producing Renewable Energy

Energy efficiency for your business is a great way to reduce your operating costs and improve the profitability of your operation. The module is an introduction to the principles of energy efficiency and producing and using renewable energy on farms. It also explores some options available to farmers and growers to make their operations energy efficient. In the last few years, interest in alternative energy and energy conservation has skyrocketed due to unstable fuel prices and the desire to move toward renewable and sustainable energy sources. Farms across the country are increasingly generating their own energy through wind turbines, solar panels, and anaerobic digesters, with surplus electricity often sold back to the grid. Some farmers have also explored wood-fuel biomass (either buying in or growing), anticipating advancements in cellulosic biofuel technology and markets. Conserving energy and improving energy efficiency is not only good for the environment - it reduces dependence on fossil fuels and curbs greenhouse gas emissions -  but also for the pockets, saving farmers money.