A significant cost Dairy farmers are facing is energy, specifically electrical energy. Teagasc estimates that electricity usage accounts for up to 8 per cent of fixed costs on a dairy farm. That equates to about 0.6 cents per litre of milk produced. The main areas of electricity use on dairy farms are milk cooling – 32 per cent; water heating – 27 per cent; vacuum pumps – 19 per cent; and lighting – 18 per cent. Actual use can vary from 3.8Kwh/cow per week up to 6.7Kwh/cow/week. The variance depends on how efficient electricity usage is on the farm and whether there are significant alternative energy sources being used.
All of Gilroy’s photovoltaic (PV) solar panel systems come under the SEAI Accelerated Capital allowance’s (ACA). We have two 5 KWh photovoltaic solar system’s up and running in Ardfert Co Kerry for over a year now and the return is 1050KWh for every KWh installed in the system’s per year. We welcome any potential customer to come and view one of our systems up and running and hear of the benefits.
If you stick with the core milking/cooling operations and taking the figure of 6 Kwh/cow/week as a standard, the cost of electricity per cow per year runs to €75. For a fifty-cow herd, the annual electricity bill is estimated at €3,760. For a 100-cow herd, that doubles to €7,500.
We are working with farmers and Agricultural businesses in Cork, Kerry and Limerick to reduce their electricity cost by up to 60%. Its never been a better time to get in contact with Gilroy’s at our Munster Office on 066-711-5920 to get your FREE survey and quote.
All of are photovoltaic (PV) solar panels come with a 25 year guarantee. With no moving parts there is no maintenance required for the (PV) solar panels.
We are supplying, fitting and commissioning photovoltaic solar panel systems from under €5,000.
