The Midwest Farm Energy Conference and Renewable Energy Tour is coming up in Morris, MN on June 17-19, 2015! To learn more we interviewed Michael Reese, Renewable Energy Director at the University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris.
Joel Haskard, CERTs:
Tell us a little bit about the Midwest Farm Energy Conference.
Mike Reese: The Midwest Farm Energy Conference will showcase renewable energy and energy efficient technologies in a production agriculture setting. In addition to presentations on a wide variety of agriculture energy-related topics, attendees will tour innovative energy systems including solar electric, solar thermal, wind energy, and renewable hydrogen and ammonia production. This is an opportunity to see the systems in use, and learn about some of the advantages and disadvantages of each system. This event will also serve as a venue to network with industry experts and professionals.
Joel: Who should attend?
Mike: The conference is geared towards farmers and those who work with farmers; however, there will be practical information for home and business owners that are considering installing renewable energy systems. We welcome agriculture businesses, livestock and crop consultants, utility representatives, energy developers and manufacturers, contractors and tradesmen, educators, students, and policy makers.
Joel: Are you seeing more ag producers showing interest in on-farm energy efficiency and renewable energy projects?
Mike: Yes. The cost of farm scale renewable energy systems has dropped significantly over the last decade, making for improved financial considerations. Technologies that improve energy efficiency are also more developed and available. Many farmers understand that energy costs are an input that they can be better managed both by saving energy and possibly through on-site generation. Our keynote speaker for the Conference is Steve Peterson, Director of Sustainable Sourcing at General Mills, Inc. Mr. Peterson will provide a glimpse into future trends from the food processing world. End-users of farm commodities have a growing interest in reducing the carbon footprint of their products. Reducing energy consumption and using low carbon sources of energy may be more important to farmers in the near future.
Joel: What are some interesting energy projects happening at WCROC?
Mike: I think attendees will find several interesting energy projects at the West Central Research and Outreach Center. First and foremost, energy audits are underway to assess the amount of energy being consumed in crop and livestock production.
On the crop production side, we are using wind energy to drive a process to produce nitrogen fertilizer. Our research team uses power from an on-site, utility-scale wind turbine to power a renewable hydrogen and ammonia production pilot plant. The pilot plant is a globally unique system. Crop rotations have been evaluated to determine which may be more energy efficient.
In the dairy, our research team is developing an energy system based around thermal energy storage. The system will use solar thermal panels to heat water which will be used for sanitizing the milking parlor and milk lines. A solar electric and wind energy system is being added to displace the traditional electric load. Heat pumps will be installed to cool the milk and generate additional thermal energy in case there is an excess power generation. The goal is to create a “net zero” dairy, meaning that the amount of energy consumed is equal to the energy generated on-site.
Our swine research is looking at methods to improve energy consumption. Researchers have installed more robust controls so that night time temperatures can be lowered in nurseries and finishing barns. Results have indicated energy savings without reducing animal performance. A solar photovoltaic system will be installed to provide electrical energy to the WCROC swine nursery. Future research will address energy-efficient methods to cool swine facilities. We believe animal growth and reproductive performance can benefit from more effective and energy efficient cooling systems in modern swine production facilities.
All of the research is done with farmers in mind. Our team of researchers want to improve the profitability of crop and livestock production and provide producers with the researched-based information necessary to make sound management decisions with energy consumption and generation.
Click here to see the agenda and register to attend the Midwest Farm Energy Conference >>
