Helping farmers reduce energy use

Teagasc is engaged in an extensive range of research including national and international collaborations. Teagasc highlights the impacts of its latest research in "Research impact highlights in 2020". Dairy - reducing energy use is one such area as John Upton, Teagasc Researcher, Moorepark outlines

Teagasc has partnered with Munster Technological University (MTU) and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland to deliver an online Dairy Energy Optimisation Platform that helps farmers reduce their energy use and maximise the use of solar energy. Decision support tools such as this are critical in achieving national targets for renewable energy deployment and energy related CO2 emission reductions in agriculture.

70%  - The percentage of farms having installed or intending to install energy efficient technology has increased from 52% to 70% since the launch of the Dairy Energy Decision Support Tool.

The platform identifies the best blend of energy efficient and renewable technologies for individual farms, based on either economic or environmental criteria. Users are provided with a simple payback period and carbon emissions offset resulting from any technology changes. The platform is a new addition to the existing Dairy Energy Decision Support Tool, which has been used over 4,000 times since its launch in 2018.

Correspondence: john.upton@teagasc.ie 
Other contributors: Michael Murphy, Philip Shine and Michael Breen (MTU) and Eleanor Murphy (Bord Bia).
Funding: Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland; Teagasc grant-in-aid; Teagasc Walsh Scholarship Programme

Find out more here about the 2020 Research Impact Highlights from Teagasc