Is It Time for an Energy Audit on Your Farm?

May 03, 2023

What is an energy audit and why is it something those working in an agriculture should take a closer look at?

The Three Hills and District Seed Cleaning Plant has faithfully served its local farm community since 1958. However, a series of energy audits over the last handful of years showed that the equipment — much of which hasn’t been upgraded since the plant relocated to the west side of town in 1991 — was woefully energy inefficient.

Last fall, the Three Hills Plant underwent a major renovation to more than double grain handling capacity. The upgrades proved the perfect opportunity to dramatically improve energy use efficiency too.

Plant manager Greg Andrews says the efficiency upgrades should pay for themselves through decreased power usage within five or fewer years. It’s an investment he recommends other large, high energy-use agricultural plants, from seed cleaners to potato storages to grain dryers, consider, and he credits the energy audits for starting it all.

Click here to see more...

Video: How Can We Grow More Food With Less Impact?

For over two decades, Dr. Mitloehner has been at the forefront of research on how animal agriculture affects our air and our climate. With deep expertise in emissions and volatile organic compounds, his work initially focused on air quality in regions like California’s Central Valley—home to both the nation’s richest agricultural output and some of its poorest air quality.

In recent years, methane has taken center stage in climate discourse—not just scientifically, but politically. Once a topic reserved for technical discussions about manure management and feed efficiency, it has become a flashpoint in debates over sustainability, regulation, and even the legitimacy of livestock farming itself.

Dr. Frank Mitloehner, Professor and Air Quality Specialist with the CLEAR Center sits down with Associate Director for Communications at the CLEAR Center, Joe Proudman.