Tudur Parry
Pengelli Isaf, Caernarfon
A renewable energy feasibility study
Pengelli Isaf is a mixed enterprise family farm located on the outskirts of the town of Caernarfon. They farm 330 acres with a dairy herd of 140 Holstein Friesian cows calving from September to March, but heavily weighted towards the autumn. Cows produce an average of 8,500 litres per cow per annum and milk is sold to South Caernarfon Creameries on a constituent-based contract for producing cheese. All replacement heifers and youngstock are reared on the farm and beef from the dairy enterprise either gets sold as calves, stores, or fattened on the farm depending on the year, grass growth and forage yield. The farm keeps a flock of 300 crossbred ewes that lamb indoors and move off the dairy grazing platform after lambing in March. Along with silage cuts, some crops are grown which includes an annual maize crop clamped for the TMR winter rationing for the dairy herd.
As with any other dairy farming business, energy and electricity is a major cost with a yearly use of 74,000 kW used which equates to a cost of £24,000 for the business. The family is keen to complete a feasibility study to investigate what renewable electricity production systems best suits their farming business, and work out a return on investment figure on payback time to cover bank interest costs.
The project will also contribute to the Sustainable Land Management outcomes including:
Maximise carbon storage
Reduced GHG emissions
Resource efficient