A dairy farm uses approximately 800-1400 kWh per cow per year. If a small farm has 10 dairy cows, this will be roughly 12,000 kWh per year. This consumption comes from milk cooling, vacuum pumps, water heating, lighting, ventilation, and more. This on-site energy consumption along with indoor consumption can total roughly 15,000 kWh per year. Maintaining, cleaning, and using renewable energy sources can result in savings of 15 to 75 percent on a small farm.
If using wind energy, a wind turbine with 10 to 15 kW is sufficient. A 10-kW wind turbine produces a yearly output of 21,500 kWh, and the indicative system cost being approximately $64,000. A 15-kW system has an annual output of 36,000 kWh, and an indicative system cost of approximately $100,000. When kept in good condition, wind turbines can last up to 20 years. 85 percent of its components such as steel, copper wire, and gearing can also be recycled or reused.
If using solar energy, for a small farm that uses 15,000 kWh of electricity annually, roughly 38-43 solar panels of the average 250-watt panel will be needed to generate enough power. Panels can cost between $175 to $375, amounting to a total cost of $6,650 to $14,250. The installation cost for this system is roughly $25,000 to $30,000 and its payback period is within 7 to 12 years.
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