Knowledge Bank

As farms have become more sophisticated and automated, the electrical demands of many farms have increased, requiring enhanced needs for high quality electric to power equipment. In 2014, the agricultural sector consumed 1,714 trillion BTU of energy with electricity, representing 17 percent of the total energy consumed in agriculture. Energy inputs are important to agriculture, as electricity costs an average of 1 percent to 6 percent of total expenses for farm businesses. In 2011, about three-fourths of U.S. farms had a profit margin of less than 10 percent, including roughly 61 percent with operating a profit margin of less than 0 percent. Higher energy expenses increase production costs, raise the prices of agricultural products, and reduce farm income. Unlike residential accounts, which are based only on total energy usage, commercial accounts are charged for total energy usage and the peak amount of energy, called demand, used more than a short time period. On some farms, the resulting demand charges can be nearly 50 percent of the farm's monthly electricity bill. While demand charges are often significant, few consumers understand the costs, how they are calculated, and what impact their electrical usage has on their billing. The objective of the agricultural energy management program was to install advanced energy metering equipment in agricultural facilities to track electric demand profiles and monitor power quality. We collected energy usage data for individual motor loads on six farms, allowing our team to analyze how specific operations contribute to the farms overall peak demand charges. Using the detailed energy data from the test facilities, a team from Ohio State's Electrical and Computer Engineering Department developed energy models to simulate load shifting and evaluate the economic impact. The models were validated by comparing the simulation results with data collected from facility measurements. Understanding peak demand charges and energy management strategies in agriculture is a complex issue. As a result, our project partners were strategically designed around four critical disciplines including energy, swine production, dairy production, and electrical engineering. In total, more than 29 project partners contributed to the project including Extension professionals; swine and dairy farmers; the Ohio State College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences; the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center; and faculty and students in the Ohio State College of Computer and Electrical Engineering. The intended audience for this session includes Extension personnel working with agricultural producers, students, and researchers with interest in energy management and electrical and computer engineering. This session will provide an overview of the project partnerships, research methods, outreach goals, preliminary results, and discuss potential energy management strategies to minimize costs and foster long-term sustainability.

AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Eric Romich, OSU Extension field specialist, energy development, romich.2@osu.edu (Corresponding Author); Mahesh Illindala, associate professor, Ohio State College of Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering; Chris Zoller, OSU Extension educator, agriculture and natural resources; Tim Barnes, OSU Extension educator, agriculture and natural resources; Rory Lewandowski, OSU Extension educator, agriculture and natural resources