Save Money With Farmstead Energy Audit

The North Dakota State University Extension Service has a new publication to help crop and livestock producers make their operations more energy efficient.

The free publication, “Farmstead Energy Audit,” is meant to be a reference guide and starting point to look at ways to save money and resources on the farm and ranch, according to Carl Pedersen, NDSU Extension Service energy educator and one of the publication’s authors. Topics covered include tractor and field operations, grain drying, indoor and outdoor lighting, irrigation, livestock watering, livestock buildings, farm shops and the home.

Each section contains simple tips to reduce costs and more involved management suggestions that farmers and ranchers can try in their efforts to get more money out of their energy budget.

For example, in the tractor and field operations sections, the publication provides calculations on how to save $120 a year simply by using a timer in combination with a tractor engine heater. Diesel engines need only two hours to warm to operational temperature. By running an engine heater all night, producers are wasting money and energy resources. Those sections also include, tips for reduced tillage and wheel slippage for even more savings.

In the home section, a discussion of air leaks shows homeowners places to not only make their homes more energy efficient, but also more comfortable. Other topics covered in the home section are the amount of insulation to have, age and efficiency of appliances, and whether homeowners are using energy-saving devices, such as programmable thermostats.

“Farmstead Energy Audit” can be obtained by contacting the NDSU Agriculture Communication Distribution Center at (701) 231-7882 or by e-mail at NDSU.DistributionCenter@ndsu.edu. It also is available through county Extension offices or online at http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/ageng/structu/ae1366.pdf.

For more information on energy topics that may not be covered in “Farmstead Energy Audit,” check out the NDSU Extension Service energy Web site at http://www.ndsu.edu/energy.

NDSU Agriculture Communication