Energy usage survey of dairies in the southwestern united states
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A survey of 14 dairies in Texas and California was conducted to determine their total energy use on an annual basis. The goal of the survey was to evaluate the effect of production and management processes on energy consumption. The total energy used on facilities varied widely with the type of operation; e.g., pasture, open lot, or hybrid (a combination of open-lots and free-stall) systems, as well as with the relative age of the facility. The on-farm energy supply sources included electricity, gasoline, diesel, propane, and natural gas. Total energy usage ranged from as low as 464 kWh per year per animal (kWh/yr.a) for a pasture dairy in Northeast Texas, to as high as 1,637 kWh/yr.a for a hybrid facility in Central Texas. The electricity usage at the dairies was allocated to four main energy sinks, the milking parlor, the animal housing areas, feeding, and waste management, where possible. Generally, milking and housing components dominated the electrical usage for hybrid dairies with the milking parlor being the primary consumer of energy for the open-lot facilities.
