Energy Fuel & Renewables
Improving energy and fuel use on farm can prove a relatively simple and effective cost-saving means of reducing emissions, helping also to increase farm profitability.
This can include undertaking an assessment of fuel and energy use of buildings and machinery to identify areas where savings or efficiencies can be made. It could also involve identifying how renewable energy generation could be beneficial to reduce purchased energy requirements, or potentially provide an additional income stream for the business. There are a number of options to utilise natural resources within the farm – from slurry to woodlands, and wind to rivers.
The resources below provide information on energy auditing, efficiency measures, and renewable options. Further resources in the Farming for a Better Climate section provide information on simple energy auditing, and case studies of energy savings on farms in Scotland.
Fuel Use
While fuel may not be one of the largest expenses on farms, taking some time to think about how fuel use could be improved may save some useful cash.
The first step in finding where to make savings is to understand how and where fuel is currently being used.
Here are some articles on managing fuel use on farms:
Reducing Cereal Energy Costs | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service (fas.scot)
Energy Use
As recent trends have shown, energy bills can prove a volatile and uncertain expense, and so finding ways to reduce usage can quite literally pay off.
Useful links and resources on energy use and efficiency:
Reducing Your Energy Bills on Farm: A Practical Guide
Renewable Energy
Renewable energy options can have many benefits for a farm business. They can offer diversification enterprise from which the energy created can be used on farm to reduce electricity and heating bills, with any excess sold to generate an additional income. Additionally, the use of renewables can help to reduce the overall farm greenhouse gas emissions, or carbon footprint.
There are a number of options available and each offer opportunities to utilise natural resources within the farm – from slurry to woodlands, and wind to rivers.
Useful Resources:
Top tips
- Can you downsize? Do you need the biggest tractor on the farm to do the job you want? Fuel savings can be made by matching the correct tractor to the job.
- Check your energy contract for the day/night rate times, often different suppliers have different times for each tariff; don't forget to change timers when the clocks change.
- Keep machinery serviced regularly, with particular attention to fuel and air filters; keep air vents clean to ensure efficient fuel use.
- Fit timer switches to water heaters and day/night sensors to building lights.
- Tyre selection can make a big difference to not only fuel consumption, but also to compaction in your farm soils. Check tyre pressures regularly and make changes to suit tractor use.
- Dairy farms can utilise preheated water from the plate cooler for wash water; reducing heating time and energy.
Sign up to the FAS newsletter
Receive updates on news, events and publications from Scotland’s Farm Advisory Service