Dairy farmers have made investments in their farm to use energy in the most efficient ways possible. Many have upgraded their renewable energy portfolios to include both solar panels in their fields and on their barns, and wind turbines in the barnyard.
More and more farms are turning to new technologies to cut energy costs. Barns utilize led lighting, energy-efficient fans to cool cows, and improved ventilation to cut energy use. High-efficiency milk-chillers are used in milking parlors to cool milk before entering the bulk tanks.
As dairy farms have an abundance of cow manure available, some farms have installed anaerobic digester systems which allow farmers to convert manure into clean, renewable electricity. Yes, cow poo can power hundreds of homes in your community!