Colorado recently announced a new energy efficiency initiative for dairies and irrigators – something numerous states in the East have had for years. But the take-home point is payback potential.

Last year’s pilot project in Colorado averaged 10% to 25% energy savings via improvements. Better yet, the average payback was anywhere from one to three years, according to Michael Turner, manager of Colorado’s energy efficiency program.

You’d welcome such savings for your farm’s bottom line, right? All three elements that accomplish that success are already available in most Northeast states:

* a free energy audit

* a renewable energy evaluation/assessment

WORTH YOUR TIME INVESTMENT: With upfront costs cut by grants and cost-share funds, Scott Clewell’s solar arrays were well ahead of his projected payback schedule.

* technical support and access to financial resources to reduce up-front costs of energy efficiency improvements.

Options are countless, ranging from new lighting or heat recovery systems, water-saving irrigation drop nozzles, all the way to manure digesters, wind turbines and solar photovoltaic panels. It all begins with an energy audit and an assessment of renewable energy options.

Where to start
The best place to start researching your farm’s potential is at farm shows and your nearest Extension office. Both will be well worth your time.

The upcoming New York Farm Show, for instance, has more than a dozen exhibitors offering energy efficient equipment or services and 10 offering state-of-technology lighting. Check out who’s offering what at the show in the show program in the middle of your February issue of American Agriculturist.

Perhaps the most important step is finding a highly reliable consultant to work with you from the renewable energy assessment stage, through grant funding to installation. Thanks to December’s federal stop-gap funding bill, renewable energy tax credits for solar, wind, geothermal and more were extended for five years. Expert help is likely needed to gain grant funding and tax benefits.

In last May’s cover and inside stories, we shared Scott Clewell’s positive experience. The Pennsylvania farmer installed solar arrays that were ahead of the projected 5-year payback schedule. If you didn’t keep the magazine copy, catch the two-part American Agriculturist story by clicking on Sun-powered and Where solar’s payback comes from.